Hate Loving You
by Amorekristall
Summary: Is it possible to love someone you hate? The smallest things that used to annoy you can freak you out when you start to acquire a taste for them...Dasey : CH 13 NOW UP!
1. Derek!

**Well, hellooo everyone! ****After years of being a ffnet reader, I decided to try out the world of a writer.**

**This is my very first fanfic ever so plz no flames :)**

**Disclaimer: If I did own Life With Derek, my life would be complete...**

* * *

**Hate Loving You**

**Chapter 1**

**De-rek!**

**Derek's POV:**

We've always been competitive, but that's the fun part.  
I_ love_ to annoy her and I know that even though she doesn't want to admit it, she loves challenge as much as I do. But sometimes, little things go way too far and I can't handle them. But that's where the interesting things come and the real fun starts... right?

When did my life go upside-down?

Three years ago, when _she_ moved to (more like invaded) my house 'cause her mom was brave, or fool enough to marry my dad.

I didn't mind dad's new wife, Nora and her daughter Lizzie at all, but well, this _other_ annoying daughter of hers didn't seem to understand that _I_ make the rules of **MY** house.

She came in like royalty, demanding things as if she had a right to them. Like that time she wanted my room, for example. Gutsy, I'll admit, but bratty and delirious. It didn't happen as expected. Who in the world did she think she was? Of course I had to teach her a lesson, make her see she would never get to even _try_ take anything from me, not without a tough consequence. She wanted changes and tried to impose them on us. Her sweet, romanticized, 'half-full' philosophies made me both laugh and cringe. Her keen and prissy attitudes became like nails on a blackboard, her clean-freak habits a living nightmare, and her "encouraged" menu a disgusting experience. TOFU? What the hell was that? She brainwashed my dad into her feminist crap and made me stop playing Babe-rider and remove my beloved posters of smoking girls in their bikinis (which of course I didn't, I just hid them underneath lame cover-up posters), and supposedly treat her nicely and blah, blah.

She was a monster! But, surprise surprise, both my dad and Nora were _ALWAYS_ on her side. Not only did she teach Edwin, my loyal little brother, to talk back to me, she eventually even got Marti, MY Marti to like her...how? I had no idea.

Who is this vile character I'm referring to?

Casey McDonald, my...ugh, STEP-sister.

After some time, she started dating my very best friend, Sam. As if she wasn't ruining my life enough.

For some strange reason I couldn't stand it, it made me nauseous just seeing them together. But I know too well that it was just because it was so irritating to see her take my best friend away from me, and so easy. The witch had enchanted him, poor Sammy he never had a chance. Oh well, at least they broke up and I didn't have to worry about it anymore. Then again, a guy named Max came into the scene, and a very weird sensation would come once in a while...

Anyway, I'm dating one of Casey's friends, Kendra, and she's ok, but sometimes she gets on my nerves and I can't stand her. I broke up with her once before, but _CASEY_ bugged the heck out of me to make up with her.

I can't believe I Derek Venturi, followed Casey's advice. Then again, Kendra is a great kisser, there wasn't much to think about the moment I went to "talk it out" with her.

Perhaps I wasn't really thinking, like I should've.

If it wasn't for Casey, maybe I would have broken up with Kendra a long time ago. Don't get me wrong, I do like Kendra...but sometimes I just wish I could get a restraining order of at least 1000 yards...

It's been a long while since the McDonalds moved here,but hey! that doesn't mean I don't bug Casey anymore! It's just that I find so much pleasure by making her life miserable, is like, a calling.

Edwin and Lizzie became really good sibs, but Casey and I, _siblings_?

I shudder at the disgusting sound of it.

I can't, and I will _**NEVER**_ see Casey as my sister...

* * *

Nora and dad went away for the weekend, leaving all of us with an annoying babysitter. I tried to convince them not to leave a babysitter, after the party, I mean, _jungle_ I created the first time they left, but they didn't hear me.

It doesn't matter now, though, 'cause I scared the babysitter out.

I know that it isn't my style, but in times like this, _you gotta do, what you gotta do._

Lizzie and Edwin were playing monopoly and Marti was napping. After drinking Edwin's favorite and _"off-limits"_ juice, I chewed some gum that was left in my right pocket. Then I went into the living room and saw Casey watching TV.

I couldn't help myself and grabbed the remote from her hands just to see those big blue eyes get angry at me and those pink lips yell: _**"DE-REK!"**_

She stood up and tried to take the remote from me, she seemed pretty annoyed. Perfect.

I can't describe the feeling that I get when I mess with her,I mean, I can bug Edwin or anybody, but for some reason, I don't get the same satisfaction as much as I do when I'm bugging _**her.**_

I wouldn't care if it was anybody else, but for some stupid reason..I have to show her that,

I **ALWAYS** win.

And, I **ALWAYS** get what I want.

Edwin knows it, everybody, but she doesn't want to accept it.

She doesn't give up like everyone else...and as much as I hate to admit it, she challenges me in a way I can't resist.

She fights 'till the last moment and that makes her a ...worthy opponent.

"Fight, fight!"

Marti started screaming, I don't know how she got there 'cause I thought she was sleeping but, oh well, this is Marti we're talking about.

Edwin and Lizzie stopped playing monopoly and came downstairs to see the show, too.

I could have given Casey the remote, but why would I? She didn't seem to give up, so I didn't either. Edwin cheered me up and Lizzie just rolled her eyes.

Casey was fighting really hard though, I think it wasn't just for the remote thing, it was like she was counting all the times I've been a jerk to her...I ignored the number.

For some strange reason I couldn't take my eyes off hers, as if I had lost control over my own body. It was creeping me out. Her hands hovered over mine trying to take the remote from me and I couldn't help but think of how warm they felt. I was too busy freaking out on my own thoughts to care about what she was calling me.

Casey noticed that I was just looking at her,standing still and not paying the most minimal attention to what she was saying.

With all the force she could manage, she pulled the remote from my hands one more time. At that moment, I was stupid enough to let go of the remote.

Casey tripped off heading right to the TV behind her, too fast for me to stop her.

A loud crashing sound echoed throughout the house.

**"DE-REK!"**

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Yay first chapter!

**Your thoughts? ;)**


	2. The Horrible truth

Disclaimer: I do own lwd, yeah i just signed the contract...yeah right :/

* * *

**Hate Loving You**

**Chapter 2:**

**The horrible truth...**

**Casey's POV**

Why me? What on earth did I do to deserve this?

Nothing can be just perfect, SOMEONE, has to come and ruin your plans for the afternoon.

No one should be exposed to such obnoxiousness.

I was just watching a TV show and _he_ decided to be funny(again)and took the remote from me. The butt head did not hear to any complains I gave him and just stared at me the whole time with those auburn eyes that haunt my existence.

The result of his stupidity led to hurting myself and our TV to crash on the floor.

**"Noooooooo!"**

Everyone yelled when they realized the TV had accomplished its purpose.

"You stupid jerk!Look what you've d-**OW**!"

I felt an incredible pain coming from my ankle when I tried to stand up.

"Casey! are you alright?" Lizzie was quickly next to me. You know, it is really nice to know that at least _somebody_ cares for me around here.

"Agh, my ankle.."

"Wow, dejavu!" Said Edwin in amusement and wide eyes. Stupid Derek was sobbing and hugging the remains of the TV.

"**DE-REK!**"

"Huh?"

"Look what you have done!"

"Me? Look what you did to my baby! Why can't you take the klutzilla's curse away with you! You destroyed our most valuable possession! Our Best Friend ..Our - "

"What are you saying! Is your stupid fault, you stupid nutcase! If you hadn't come to bug me like you always do, none of this would have happened!"

"GUYS!"

We turned around to see Ed and Liz looking at us like we were a pair of two-year-olds fighting over a Popsicle.

"Derek, the TV is crashed on the floor and Casey hurt her ankle!"

"..What?"

Derek turned around and looked down at my ankle, with an unreadable look on his face. Edwin kneeled down next to Lizzie.

"Are you able to stand?"

I tried.

"Ow...no...I can't"

"We need to put you on the couch, so we can put ice on it"

I looked over at Derek and he was having a world war inside,mumbling incoeherent words, only now he was staring straight at me. I quickly looked away but I could still feel his eyes on me. I started to feel nervous. My body was trembling and I could feel the rise of heat on my cheeks. I could not avoid his gaze anymore and slowly, my eyes met with his once again, trying my hardest to read them.

The words became inaudible, the hammering in my chest became the deafening rhythm of the song playing around me.

"Um, Derek..."

Seconds passed by unnoticed.

"Bro.."

A warm knot formed at the pit of my stomach.

"DEREK!"

"Huh..wha?"

Edwin's annoyed voice took Derek, and me, out of thought.

"Derek..dude, you seemed lost out in the galaxy..."

Derek remained silent as he looked away.

"...anyway, I need you to carry Casey to the couch."

"**WHAT?**"

Derek and I yelled in unison. Come on! I have punishment enough living with him, and you expect me to... touch _**him**_? Don't...

"Casey, you can't move a muscle and none of us can carry you but him." After the creep read my thoughts, Liz tried to convince me.

"I.. I won't carry _her_!" The idiot made a face as he said it.

"Excuse me! but I don't want to be touched by you either, you creep!"

"Ugh! Enough already! Edwin and I are going to prepare the ice and stuff for your ankle. Derek, carry her to the couch!" A very annoyed Lizzie yelled before leaving with Edwin. The little devil can be scary when she wants to.

"And what do I do?" asked Marti. "Ahh, you can draw a picture of Casey's funny fall, tee hee" Edwin said in amusement from the kitchen."Ok!" Marti ran upstairs to her room, leaving Derek and I in the living room.

After rolling his eyes, Derek let out a deep sigh and reluctantly kneeled down next to me. He stayed there for a moment, seemingly hesitant of what he was about to do. He looked at me briefly as if asking my permission, and I just nodded curtly, looking away.

The silence cut the air like a knife.

My heart started pounding again when he got closer and closer. I prayed to God he would not notice it.  
Looking away, he slowly put his arms around me, and my skin reacted at his touch. He raised me up effortlessly, yet he made a sudden effort to carry me away from him, as if trying to allow some space between us. This, however, made me feel like he was going to pull yet another prank and drop me, and like a reflex for survival my arms flung around his neck, hands clutching at his polo as I looked down at the broken glass of the TV all over the floor. My sudden movement made him flinch and his body became completely tense as he froze on the spot. This made me look at him. Only then did I notice that my movement had closed the gap he had purposefully created and his face was only inches apart from mine. His auburn eyes wide and slightly scared observed me. He seemed like he was going to say something, instead, he began to walk. His eyes never let go of mine, as he moved slowly towards the couch, I couldn't help but blush at the whole freaking scenario; trying to hide it, I made myself hug him so my face was out of reach from his tempting eyes.

I do not get him, I used to think I did - **Jerk.  
**But the more time passes the more confused I get. I mean, I know he's a devil, and the nightmare of my dreams, but he had also done things that I never expected from him. My thoughts of him had amazingly changed through this two years of _Dereka and Klutzilla's _anecdotes_._

He helped my family, even if he says it was because of totally selfish reasons; he improved my social status at school; he called my dad when he could not stay to spend some time with me; he **even **improved his grades just to prove me he could be as "smart-ass" as he says I am, and, he had also defended me when I needed it.

But I know he only does that because he can't let somebody else steal his _Make-Casey's-life-miserable_ job, stupid hobby which lead to my recent nightmare.

It does not matter how much he denies it, but, deep, deep, deeeep down, there's a sweet guy somewhere.

And I hate to admit it, but...no matter how much I say that he's a disgusting jerk and totally revolting, deep,deeeeeeeep down...

I...I know I'm_ **lying**_**.**

I know we're supposed to get along like _family_, but, Derek is **NOT** my brother, he's just the stupid jerk that lives in the room next to mine.

Pure Torture.

I've been lying to myself all this time, and I've been trying to believe my own lies. But through this years, my worst nightmare came true.

The horrible, and incredibly scary truth is:

**I am in love with Derek Venturi.**

Is not something recent, I have know it for a year now. But think about the whole list of cons... there's no pros in a crazy situation like this.

It was so scary just the thought of me drooling over a guy like him. He is the dude that only chicks classified as hot/popular and usually air-heads get, he is the cool and obnoxious '_what's-up-babe'_ kind of guy. And I know I'm totally pathetic, because no matter what I tried, I fell in love with him anyways, just like every other pathetic girl...

I tried to clear him off my head with Max.  
But, alas, it seemed that fate was determined to make my life miserable.

I could be opening my locker at school, he would pass by, flash me a smirk and walk away... I would just stay there and stare like an idiot.

It was scary! stupid! I had no idea why the heck, I, _Casey McDonald _was actually checking _Derek Venturi _out.**..**

I turned my head a little and tried to discreetly smell his cologne. The smell intoxicated me so much it took all my power not to freely press my face into his neck. I could tell he was unaware of my curiosity, for he kept going to the couch.

When I felt the warmth of my cheeks was safely away, I backed myself away from him enough to see his amber eyes looking for mine. I could feel his breath on my face. Fresh mint ran through every corner of my mind as I felt his arms suddenly hold me tighter into him.

Good Heavens! I wanted to run away so badly but apparently my body was rebelling in that precise and lucky moment.

We started descending and I finally felt the couch below me.

We were on the couch already...but his arms were still around me and I lost control over reason. I started to breathe harder, I couldn't control that fuzzy feeling through my skin, and thousands of thoughts that were not supposed to be there. I then noticed he no longer stared at my eyes, but at my lips. I forgot how to breathe. I could have sworn he was leaning closer.

We were getting closer, and he looked into my eyes again.

I felt I could stay in those auburn mirrors forever-

"Ah...wha..**what** are you guys d-doing?"

We startled abruptly, and turned around to see some shocked kids called Edwin and Lizzie. I then looked back at Derek and his iron grip around me, his mesmerizing face too close to be considered "friendly." After what it seemed like years, I gained control over myself and finally pushed him away and he stood up away from me.

"Er..thanks D-Derek" I said, still dizzy about his touch burning on my skin, my face, surely red as a tomato.

Ed and Liz flashed looks of curiosity.

"..no prob Klutz."

Derek said that with his famous smirk as he disappeared into the kitchen like nothing happened.

HUH?

Ugh come on Casey! This is Derek we're talking about!  
The stupid dimwitted jerk that has done nothing but make your life miserable!

...the idiot that...you will never actually get...

"Casey...are you there?"

"Huh?..yeah what.."

"We got the ice.."

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**hohoohoho! :P**

**Waaaao! First of all, I want to apologize to everyone for the time i took before updating! I'm truly sorrryyyyyy! I also want to thank to the sweet people that reviewed my story , plz tell me your ideas and thoughts of this, I want to keep up with this story, hope u guys too :)**

**I had a story but after time, it gave a whole 360 grade turn and it came up like this XD, but i still hope u guys like it .I promise a bunch of dasey in my story x3 **

**aah and sorry about errors in my grammar (English is not my first language ;)**

**Hope u guys liked it x)**

**R&R plzzzzzzzzzzz ! x333**

**Love you all!**

**~AmoreK**


	3. Confusion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Life with Derek, every word in here is just product of my silly imagination...**

ps:sorry about the grammatic errors that you may find...English is not my first language lol ;P

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**Hate Loving You**

**Chapter 3:**

**Confusion**

**_Derek's POV_**

Gaaaahh! Why!

Of all the people in the planet... WHY _HER_?  
I had to keep my cool in front of her 'til I was out of her sight in the kitchen, then I ran out from the back door as fast and as far as I could.

Nor the annoying barking dogs, the hot, jogging blondie or the incredibly awesome and shiny day stopped me from my lunatic running. When I thought I was far enough I stopped at what seemed like an old, red building at the end of my neighborhood.

I couldn't take it anymore and banged the walls with my fists as I screamed to the top of my lungs, **"WHYYYY!"** as if that would give me the holy answers I desperately needed.  
Hoping that something came down from the sky, my only answer was a cold splash of water. An old lady appeared out of a window of the building and yelled,

"Shut up, punk! You're scarin' da heck outta my cats!"

"Yeah! go away or I'll call the cops!" Said another annoyed neighbor.

"Alright! Alright! I'm leaving! Damn!"

I just can't believe all of this is happening to me. I'm loosing it, man.

I have to get out of there or else I'm gonna go nuts.  
The whole time I was holding her, nothing else crossed my mind but that I was about a freaking inch and a half from her. She smelled so good. Pictures of lilies crossed my mind as I captured the bewitched fragrance. I just couldn't take my eyes off of hers.

Those eyes that tingle with amusement and pride every time she knows she has beaten me.

I couldn't stand the fact that she was in my arms and depended totally on me...  
As if my body was acting on its own, I reduced some more inches from our distance and I have no idea why on earth I felt an incredible urge to get even closer and steal a kiss or two from those full, pink lips.  
My heart skipped beats every time I felt her warm breath on my face and I felt so freaking hot I thought I was gonna explode.

If she hadn't pushed me away at that very moment, I would've probably done something really weird to the look of Ed and Lizzie ... But why? **WHY?**

**I HATE everything about her!**

I hate that she has to do everything neatly peerrr-fect!

I hate her lame and over the top pride for feminist crap.

I hate her naive character and her foolish faith on human kindness.

I hate her preppy and nerdy _I'm-so-excited-to-do-my-homework_ personality.

I hate her clumsiness and her dorky attitude.

I hate that she's the top student in the school's Honor Roll.

I hate that she's the good girl that every grown-up feels proud of.

I hate that she's the good role model every little girl wants to be.

I hate that she's a know-it-all, writes poems, and reads books in her free time. (who does that?)

I hate how she has to plan everything out for the sake of her happiness.

I hate her lame attitude towards school and chores, and her pathetic clean-freak obsession.

I hate that she gets under my skin like no one else can.

I hate that she knows how to play my own games like a pro, beats my butt off, and still denies being a bad-ass like me.

I hate that she can be totally unpredictable when she wants to be.

I hate that she's a ballerina.

I hate that she's a good singer and a member of my so-called band.

I hate that she dresses nice and smells nice.

I hate her pink pajamas.

I hate her bunny slippers.

I hate her deep, blue eyes.

I hate her blushed cheeks.

I hate her sweet smile.

I hate her long brown hair.

I hate her voice.

I hate not telling her anything that is not based on lies.

I hate that she hates me.

But most of all,

I hate that she's my... Step-sister.

I hate that I have developed a stupid need to bug her to at least have some sort of interaction with her, even if is just a based on hatred.

It's like an addiction.

Ever since she came to my life I became truly pathetic...but, why?...how?

* * *

I had to come back sooner or later, so I came in from the back door like nothing happened.  
I don't know why but I felt g..gui...guil-ty ...BLEGH.  
Sooner or later reality would slap me in the face, but of course, I chose later.  
As I reached the living room I got on my knees and, trying my hardest to not make a sound, I crawled all the way up to my room, leaving a trail of water from the splash I received earlier.  
I was totally anxious of going to my cool fortress of solitude and lock myself in there until I felt like it, but before I made it to my room, Ed stopped me.

"Derek!...why are you... **wet**? ...anyway, what are we gonna do with the TV? I know Casey hurt her ankle bad but we can't hide the TV disaster from our parents, Bro!"

"...Uh... I don't know, I **seriously **don't know right now...could you leave me alone for the next couple of hours, or years and not bug me about the TV thing?"

"But bro-"

I closed my door abruptly and threw myself at my so welcoming bed to think a little about the crazy stuff that had just happened.I didn't change my clothes, and ignored completely the fact that I could probably catch a cold. No matter how much I tried, my mind always wandered downstairs to an especific location, and to the root of my torment.  
I'm sure that Casey was using all the human-known words and other made up ones to curse me, and of course she would be using her totally lame and girly voice for it..

But what amazes me and freaks me out at the same time, is that I **do** care what she's thinking of me,

or if she's thinking about me at all...

I snap out of my thoughts when I hear a knock on my door.

"Edwin! I told you to leave me alone!"

"It's me.._Casey._"

huh?

How the heck did she get up here? Apparently, either she crawled all the way up here..or Ed and Liz wouldn't feel their shoulders for a week.

I jumped out of my bed and quickly opened the door to see her with an exhausted expression on her face, supporting herself on the side wall of my door.

Her hair was kinda messy, her bad ankle hiding behind her leg, and her eyes, seemingly darker each second, fixated on me. Waves of excitement and fear rippled through my spine. A strange, warm feeling began to creep up my neck and my face.

"..How did you-"

"Derek."

"...yeah?"

"Why...why won't you be a man and tell me what you feel?"

"Uh..what?"

I started to back away when she started to step closer.

"For goodness' sake, Derek! Will you keep bugging me just to see if it gets my attention?"

My personal space got shortened between me and my computer desk to the point where I tripped over sitting on it, because she was invading my space, waaay too much.

I couldn't think of anything at all...I spaced out... zeroooo.

Where the heck were the lies when I needed them the most?

"Well, it worked."

Now close enough, she put her hands in each side of the desk, ... was it me or it was getting hot in there?

"I..uh... well"

"what, are you scared?"

She raised an eyebrow with an amused and dareful look.  
I just looked at her, smart enough to not make a comment on her regard.  
Her expression was that of when she asks something regarding my stupid actions, and she fully knows the answer, but waits for me to suffer trying to figure it out.

Her eyes full of determination and her lips formed a small smirk, but I could see she was being serious about it.

"... L-Liz 'n Ed...Marti, w-where are t-they?"

I stuttered nerdly.  
My lips got dry and ached for company. Oh I wanted to kiss those full lips so badly...wait, WHAT?

I couldn't believe the thoughts that were crossing through my mind and I cursed myself millions of times, trying to make myself see just _who_ was in front of me...but oh, I knew too well who that person was and still my mind kept playing tricks on me.

She grabbed my polo's collar and roughly pulled me closer till my nose was touching hers. I completely forgot how to breathe...

"...C-case..."

Raising an eyebrow and with a devious smile she whispered, "Just kiss me already, idiot._."_

I couldn't bear it anymore and wrapped my arms around her pulling her against me, and as I was about to kiss her I -

**_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!_**

I opened my eyes to see the dots of my ceiling and the posters of cars and chiks in my walls.

HUH?

I was breathing hard and as hot as a tamale! It sure was... the weather you know? it gets hotter this time of the year...

**_BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!_**

crap! my stupid cellphone. I felt the annoying vibrator in my left pocket.

I grabbed my cell phone and answered the call.

"WHAT!"

"whooaa...dude sweat it off, what's wrong?"

I heard Sam's concerned voice at the other line.

_Oh well that I was having the weirdest, most awesome dream of my life and I was about to kiss Casey just before you buzzed in and_-

"Err...nothing."

"_O-k_, sooo...oh! hey I rented this cool movie, we can watch it at your house, whatcha think?"

Great! another painful memory of my precious childhood friend crashed in the living room.

"... Weeell I don't think is a good time now, but uh I'll call ya back later...'kay?"

"Um, ok bro..cya..are ya sure you're alright?"

"**I'M FINE!**"

I hung up the phone abruptly. What is wrong with people?

I'm._ fine_.

I got out of my bed and opened my door skeptically slow, making sure no Caseys were leaning on it. I headed to the stairs and after three steps down, I spotted her on the couch reading.

I just sat there and watched her tentatively, not before making sure my surroundings were clear.

It Looked like Liz and Edwin did a good job putting her ankle up with ice. She read a book quietly, she changed the page, read one or two lines, then smiled, letting a soft laughter scape the corner of her lips.

I found myself doing something I would never do consciously. I started noticing every detail of her movements. Her hair fell silky and smooth, down the sides of her face as she giggled about her reading, she then raised her hand and, with her index finger, moved some strands of hair behind her left ear. She was wearing her pink and lame sweat pants and shirt, yet, she looked kinda cute...

**WTF?**

_Aaaaaaaaaaaghh _What is this crap? What is going on?  
I used to be a careless and confident guy that got all the chicks he wanted, but Casey has twisted my mind so badly that sometimes, the stuff I used to believe in doesn't make sense to me anymore.

She's so...ugh.

With other girls I didn't have to do anything hard to get them, they would all say yes to Derek Venturi in a heart beat.

But with Casey is like I'm back at third grade bugging the girl out of her senses just because I _know_ that's _all_ I can have. I buried my face in my hands wishing that when my face was ready to look up and my eyes would receive a blinding light, I'd find out it was all just an extremely weird dream..(just like the other one)...and everything would be back to normal.

But life hates me.

When I peeked through my fingers I found myself caught by some blue eyes that were not following letters out of a book anymore.

"Derek?"

The mighty Klutzilla was calling me from her domains.

" You...-**Uh**...why are you..._wet_?"

I'm still wet? _Curse you old lady..._

I stood up defeated, as if a big white flag was waving furiously above me. I headed downstairs towards her.

"I'm wet, cause...ah...uh...-err you alright?"

I changed the subject quickly, trying to be as normal as possible.

Never seen a wet person in his living room? This is a free country y'know?

"Are you asking me if I'm alright? Wow, Derek Venturi actually cares!"

She said, humming her sarcasm towards me.

"Nope, why would I."

I slapped coldly.

"No reason..."

She said with a dark tone and glaring at me before turning her head to her book and totally ignoring me.  
I couldn't help roll my eyes and sigh for the millionth time that day. I went closer and sat nex to her.

"aaahhhhhh...look, I"

She kept looking at her book.

Apparently her book had something funny because a soft smirk started to form at the corner of her mouth, but she kept on reading.

"What I wanted to say was..."

No attention whatsoever.

"I uh..."

She then looked at me amused and lifted her eyebrows. "Yeeeesss?"

"I'm..."

"yeah?"

"I'm... _srrbwwy_..."

"huh?"

"I'm _swwwooobb_.."

"can't hear.."

"I'm sooorrww..."

"almost there..."

I could see that she was sooo enjoying this moment of humiliation;she even closed her book,put it on her lap and leaned closer as an attempt to hear my so in -purpose-mumbles.  
I felt sick by saying it but I had to get it over with. It was killing me.

"AAAGH I'M SORRY! THERE! Y'HAPPY?"

"Hey, it wasn't that hard was it?"

"Well, don't get used to it."

"Oh my God, It was priceless, you should've seen your face!haha. I'm sorry but you deserved the torture."She pointed at her ankle, trying to make me pity her.

"Gosh, I hate you." I said...for some reason amused.

"Don't worry I hate you too."  
she then started giggling out of the blue.  
I couldn't help but chuckle at her insanity.

Then she started laughing.

I started laughing.

Then we started laughing like freaks, but nothing was funny...at all.

She then realized how stupid we looked and stopped laughing abruptly and turned her head away, as if the picture on the wall was, oh so interesting.

I stopped laughing.

The crickets sang their symphonies, the world was spinning, and the remains of the TV seemed way more interesting and appealing than anything.

An air of ackwardness floated around us.  
"uh...I'm sorry, I was just...y'know... Please tell me we're cool, OH and that you won't tell our parents about this! PLEASE, we then can start fighting again eventually, like we always do."

"What the heck are you gonna do with the Tv, you fool?"

"I dunno, I'll figure something out."

She then looked at me smiling slightly, can't lie she looked beautiful.

"Yes, Derek, we're cool."

HA! that was easy.

"**IF**-"

She quickly gave me my own malicious smirk...

"-you agree to be my slave for a month."

* * *

**I updated! :O lol**

**I love making a girl's POV, but for some reason I find much more fun doing Derek's pov. And It is hard, but I want to make the contrast between a girl thoughts and a guy thoughts...specially a guy like Derek...lol. I edited the previous chapters, and made changes, hope u read them and tell me what you think. In the future chapters, I will stop using personal pov's and use an omniscient narrator since that could be easier and more creative as well! :D Thanks a lot for those people that reviewed my story! Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)**

**It'd be AWESOME if you R&R plz! :D**

**what will Casey make him do? what will Derek do about the Tv?, will their parents find out?will Ed and Liz or Marti find out about their deal?**  
**haha It sounds like a reality show :P**

**Love you all!**

**~AmoreK**


	4. Proved Theory

**FROM NOW ON THE STORY WILL BE FROM AN OMNICIENT NARRATOR :D Tell me if you like POV's better, I might consider it :)**

* * *

**Disclaimer: I can't have my Happy Derekus this holidays..why? because I don't own lwd.**

**Chapter 4:**

**"Proved Theory"**

"Your what now?"  
Derek squawked in disbelief. The sound of "slave" and "month" didn't seem to appeal him at all. But Casey was in no position of going back, she had the whole idea in her head oh, so entertaining. What was she thinking? She was imagining herself in a blue background, a very handsome and shirtless Derek fanning her with a leaf, treating her with lemonades, and reciting poetry. A girl could dream, could she not?

"Hello! earth to klutz!"

Derek snapped her out of her thoughts, and she then smirked once again.  
"Yes, you heard me. My slave for a **whole** month, or else you can explain our parents what you did to me...and the TV of course."

She wasn't quite sure what had gotten into her, but when it was about Derek Venturi, she could be as competitive as her instincts would take her.

"But, but, I thought, and you, but I-"

"Deal? or No Deal?"

"Are you freaking kidding me?"

"Nope."

Derek groaned at the thought of doing laundry, washing dishes, tiding up and other lame house chores. Not to mention the humiliation of being her slave rumored everywhere. His brother would never let go of that, he would haunt him forever with such a great joke. What if it was spreaded around school? What would people say? What would become of his popularity? What would chicks think about him? First dead than letting something like this be spread out of his house!  
But what else could he do? He had gone way too far and he was sure his father would not forgive him the fact that his expensive TV had been totally crashed...oh and why not, Casey's injury too.

Casey was delighted to almost read Derek's thoughts as his features revealed his frustrations.  
He finally said in an almost inaudible stutter.

"O-o...k"

"Ok then it's settled. Derek Venturi, you are now officially my slave!" She smiled broadly and Derek groaned again in a loud surrender, slamming his head repeatedly in the couch.  
Little did they know that three nosy kids were watching them from the stairs, with a suspicious black binder, and full of whispers.

"Oh my GOD! "  
"I know"  
"But Derek wouldn't"  
"Well, if he doesn't, he'll be busted, big time"  
"Hey, but don't you think it was kinda weird how they acted when they were on the couch...a while ago?"  
"Oh my gosh, yes! they looked like they were actually gonna..."  
"Yep, thought that too."  
"Do you guys remember the hide and seek game two weeks ago?"  
"Oh yeah... this is gonna be good, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"  
"Oh yes!"  
"Are you writing it down?"  
"I'm writing, I'm writing!"

* * *

The sun was setting, orange and pink ambiances passed through the curtains of the house as the bright light of the day started to disappear. The air of sarcastic "brotherly love" was so strong that the younger kids decided to remain upstairs and snoop from a safe distance. This was better than TV, they thought. Down stairs nothing seemed to fall into place. Derek, Casey's slave? Was this entertaining or what?

"Ahem-" Casey cleared her throat. "I've totally been thinking about it, and um, my first task is..., bring me a soda." Casey said in a decadently sweet tone, which made Derek groan loud in anger. She kept smiling.  
From all the first tasks she could ask, she came up with the lamest one, a simple soda.

"-**now.**" She stated.

He glared daggers at her and cursed under his breath as he got up and headed to the kitchen. Oh yeah, if looks could kill, Casey would've been long dead since day one.

Casey smiled at herself. Yes she was madly in love with him, but that did not mean she had no pride and power, oh yes, _power_.  
She was not going to fall for his charm in front of him, she would not give him that satisfaction. After all, she was Casey McDonald, if she had something that defined her, that was pride, and this superfluous pride would never allow her to admit out loud that he was the object of her affections.

Miss Klutzilla was very stubborn, as Derek Venturi himself.

While Casey was battling with her thoughts in the living room, a whole different story was taking place in the kitchen.  
Derek was mumbling the sweetly-evil plans he would like to execute for Casey in her sleep. He was peeking through cans of food and juices in the fridge. Annoyed features were plastered all over his face.  
His hand reached to the back of the fridge and he let out a disgusted yelp when his fingers caught something sticky. His eyes searched for the guilty object and he found the already open, nastiest and oldest coke he had ever seen. Oh yeah he left that one at the last party he had...

He couldn't believe he had forgotten it. Whoever could waste soda!

Derek felt disgusted and put it back. But as a lighting, his regressive mind got an idea. Casey was going to repent from ever messing with him. He took the old coke and poured it into a blue glass. His eyes widened as another idea got him.

He opened the fridge again and took the mustard out, he took the steak sauce...some vinnegar... the soy sauce...the caramel syrup..chocolate syrup...some flour...rice...mayo

"You can also get a soda for you!... if you want." He heard Casey yell from the living room. Oh, OK so he could enjoy a good and fresh soda while he could watch her drink her own doom. Yep, _life was sweet_. He grabbed a fresh new soda and poured into another blue glass.

So he was her slave now, and she was _veeery_ happy about it. But she also felt a little uneasy and guilty,but it was his fault, was it not? Well, maybe if he too had what she asked, he could get to enjoy being her such called slave... eventually. But Derek was taking his time, and Casey was getting suspicious.  
After decades, she saw Derek coming to scene with two identical blue glasses with what seemed soda.  
She then noticed how his malicious eyes deepened with a smirk as he placed a blue glass in front of her side of the table, apparently he was not able to hide his excitement. She glared suspiciously but he never noticed. He moved her injured ankle a little and sat next to her.

"Oh, here's your soda, _ma'lady._"

Why was he being so polite when a while ago he was groaning and showing how much he hated her?

"Aren't you gonna drink it?"  
He asked hopeful.  
She didn't think twice.  
"Oh my gosh Derek! I think I just saw a mouse running under your feet"  
She saw Derek get as pale as a ghost and jump on the couch. She took the opportunity and switched the drinks.  
"Where the hell did it go?" Her smirk disappeared.  
"Uh...sorry, I think I just imagined it. It's just Marti's toy."  
Derek looked down at her with the most hatred expression he could possibly give.  
"You..."  
He sat down again.  
"Who would've thought that the _rough_ Derek was afraid of mice. hahaha."  
"Just shut up and drink your stupid soda."  
His frown turned into his famous smirk. She felt her heart melting. _Focus_! she repeated to herself.  
She took her drink prepared to drink it.

"And why don't you drink yours too?" She played dumb.  
"Why, of course dear _owner_"  
His sweet sarcasm filled her ears as she watched him rise up his drink. They both put their drinks close to their lips. Derek smirked and took a big sip from his soda.

The last thing he remembered, was Casey's hysterical laughter echoing his mind as he choked in disgust and spilled the whole drink at the floor and over his clothes.

Oh yeah, _life was sweet_, Casey thought to herself.

* * *

Oblivious to Casey, Derek was humming in rage and thinking some kind of new revenge against her, while taking a shower to remove the stickiness from the soda.

He wouldn't catch a cold after all. He kept remembering the old lady and her evil buquet.

He couldn't believe it but his plan actually failed! _What happened to the sweet, innocent and dorky goody-good Casey?  
_She could send him into a raging fury by merely referring to him as her _slave_. But the fact that Casey had saved her butt from his prank and that **he **was the one falling on it, made him ache in deep anger. A girl was winning over him. And not just any girl, but Casey McDonald. Not possible.

He got out of the shower and went straight to change in new clothes. Since he and Casey were down stairs, the kids were upstairs and he never got the chance to check on his room. He would kill Edwin if he ever touched anything. He looked around. His bed was still undone, like always. A pile of dirty clothes and gym bag were still everywhere on the floor where he last left them. His mp3 player and headphones were safely placed in his desk between the keyboard and mouse of his computer. Since his book shelf could never hold any books, (as Casey would dream) it was full of CD's and stacks of Comics and _Sports Illustrated_ magazines. On the wall, were his carefully placed posters of cars, Rock bands, and his new acquired posters supporting feminism.  
He got closer to a pink poster that was above his bed and lifted it up to make sure that the girl of the sexy belly ring was still there. He sighed. Nothing seemed out of a normal standard but he still felt something was wrong.

Somebody had been in his room, or worse, somebody or something was still in his room.  
He felt a cold chill when all of a sudden he heard some noise coming form under his bed. He tightened the towel around him.  
"I know it's you Edwin! Get outta there now!"  
No answer.  
"I'm gonna pound you if you don't! You little twerp!"  
He heard a sharp breath, then silence.

This threatening words usually worked on Edwin. So if this wasn't Edwin, then who?  
Derek grabbed the hockey stick that was resting against his desk. "Whoever it is, get out of there or else!" Derek's hands gripped his hockey stick. If it was a mouse, he swore he was going to kick some a-

"Okay, okay I'm coming out, don't hurt me, **Sm**erek!" His eyes widened as he saw Marti coming out.

"Marti, what in the world were you doing down there?"  
"Well, I was looking for some evidence, 'till you came in and I got under your bed. It stinks like old cheese in there, ya know?"  
"...Marti what evidence?"  
"Oh sorry Smerek, but I can't tell you."  
He was getting impatient.  
Derek sighed and kneeled next to her, he put on his big brotherly charm.  
"Smarti, you were snoopi- I mean, _looking_ for something in my room. It involves me, so I think I deserve to know."  
You could never see if Marti was hesitant. She was young, but pretty smart.  
"Yes it involves you, but's top secret..what are you going to do with the TV Smerek?"  
"Wait, what? no, no, no, Marti, don't change the subject. What evide-"  
"I'm not, I only want to know what you're gonna do with it, You know daddy'll kill you if he finds out."  
"But ahh... I guess- I seriously don't know Smarti, and worse, now I'm Casey's...uh, never mind"  
She kept some giggles from setting free. For the first time, Marti was able to outsmart her older brother. "Well, I have an idea if you wanna hear it."  
"What is it?"  
"My friend Tommy lives in front of a TV store and told me they are not expensive."  
"Yes, Marti but our Tv doesn't exactly fit into the 'cheap' category, plus I have no idea who your friend is."  
"Oh but it does! Tommy has the same TV we do."  
"Really?...mmm, oh but still I don't think my allowance is enough to get it in less that forty-eight hours..."  
He said to himself more than to Marti. He seemed kinda lost in thought and had forgotten all about the 'evidence' issue.

Marti saw Edwin peeking from the door and cuing her to leave.  
"Oops sorry Smerek,can't help you with that. Bye!"  
Smarti gave him a quick wink and smile and ran away closing the door behind her.  
"Wait, Marti! What evidence!"  
But Marti was no longer there. He groaned and locked his door, grabbed a pair of jeans and his green shirt.  
_"ooh Deeerek!"_  
Casey was calling him from down stairs, again. Life sucked.

He then heard his phone ringing, and answered it without checking the ID number.  
"Hello?"  
"Derie-bear?"

_damn it!_ _What do I do?_

"...Sorry but I'm not here at the moment, Please leave a message! **BEEEP**."

"O-m-g don't be stupid! I need to talk to you Derieeee!"  
"aaah Um Kendra, this is really not a good time, and honestly I'm-"  
"Oh but this is important!"

"...Okay.."

" Well, I went to the mall to shop like I always do, and I saw this cute dress that I wanted to buy, one with blue-ish sparkles at the top and,"  
"Kendra! Your Point!"  
"Oh yeah! and then I saw my ex-boyfriend there, the one I had not seen in a very long time...not the one that moved to the States, the one that switched schools.. "  
"Uhu? and..."  
"Weeeelll...we talked and talked and then we kinda sorta..."  
"you sorta what"  
"Ow baby, you make it so hard to say it"  
"Oh don't try to soften me with your stupid pet names Kendra, what the hell did guys you do?"  
"um, we just kinda... kissed...and,"

So his girlfriend was cheating on him...well,now that he thought of it, he didn't actually cared anymore. He never thought of her or wondered where she was or what she was doing, in a dreamy way like he used to. He really liked her, and was willing to change himself just to try to impress her, but he had no idea **_why_** those feelings were just nowhere to be felt anymore.  
Maybe just maybe, she was not the girl he thought she was, or what he was looking for.  
He was about to yell at her about how wrong she was, but then he abruptly remembered what he almost did with Casey some hours ago.

He felt stupid.  
So Yeah... he kept quiet.

He actually had an excuse to break up with Kendra now, and Casey would have nothing against him for it...

"Ok, that's all I need to hear Kendra."  
"So, you're not mad at me?"  
"Oh don't worry! I'm not mad at you. In fact, why don't you and your new boyfriend have a happy life from now on."  
"...um, but"  
"Okay so I guess that's it, glad I met you. I have to go now. Buh-bye Kendra."  
"But De-"  
He hung up the phone, and stared at it for a bit longer.

Maybe the reason **_why_** was laying on the couch downstairs...waiting for her slave to come down.

* * *

"SO! did you find something? A picture, clothes or anything?"

"Aww I'm sorry but Smerek got in before I could find something"  
"It's ok Marti, Ed and I will think of another plan"  
"Dang, I thought his shower would take longer"

"I'm sorry."  
"But you rock Marti!"  
"We don't need much evidence, it's totally obvious. But no evidence at all takes all the fun. We need to find _something_ that proves our theory."  
"What's a t-thiorie?"  
"aaaa...well, like something you think about something, Marti."  
"huh?"  
"anyways, what do we do next?"  
Edwin put his hands together and started to think. Lizzie did the same. Marti tried to imitate them; after a while, she got bored and left them alone.

* * *

Derek went down stairs for her so called owner, to see what lame wish she had. Casey was lost in dreamland for a second after seeing his new changed clothes and his wet and messy hair. Fortunately he was completely oblivious of her land of wonders.

After some arguments and failed pranks that Derek tried to execute, night time came and exhaustion as well. Everybody had eaten cereal and ice cream for dinner because Casey could not cook with an injured ankle. Lizzie could have cooked but she made a fool of herself to get out of the duty. Casey argued that ice cream was a not a healthy dinner for Marti or for anyone, but after everyone ignored the comments, she gave up.

Lizzie and Edwin had helped Casey get on her seat at the table, as nobody seemed to find her old crutches.  
As they all ate, oddly quiet, Derek seemed lost in thought, and Casey was trying to concentrate on her plate, that they were not able to notice their siblings signals and cues. Whenever she was not looking, he would eye her in curiosity.

"Awwwhahh, I'm off to bed, see ya later people."  
Edwin yawned as he stood from his seat and stretched his arms.  
Lizzie quickly got the hint and acted along.

"Ah, yes me too, hope you feel better Casey"  
Edwin and Lizzie went upstairs casually leaving Marti to make her special role. When they got to the top of the stairs they layed down on the floor to watch their plan take place.

"Meow, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now."

_Why do they want to leave? There's no parents! Don't they wanna play or something?_

Casey started to feel nervous again. It was getting annoying. How she had been handling being alone with Derek so well a year ago was beyond her.  
"B- but Marti, don't you want, uh, more ice cream?" Casey said nervously.  
At this, Derek eyed her suspiciously.  
"Thank you, Casey, but Daphne and I are really tired,-" Marti said while heading to the stairs.

"-Oh and by the way, how are you gonna get upstairs? Who's gonna help to get you to your room?"  
Casey's eyes widened. Derek shifted uncomfortably on his chair.  
"Dwon wook ac me." He said with a mouth full of cheerios, and his gaze glued to the bowl.

"I wasn't looking, until you talked. Fine, guess Smerek is taking you upstairs Case. bye!" Marti left them alone.  
Ed and Liz jumped silently in excitement from watching Marti acting like a pro. Edwin felt like crying, Marti was a total genius.

Again, the awkward silence fell on downstairs. Both Derek and Casey had finished eating their cereals, yet none attempted to move.

Casey tapped her fingers against the table. Derek scratched the back of his neck.  
"So...how did the funky soda tasted like?" She asked to break the ice.  
Derek perked up an eyebrow and looked at her. Oh so now she was trying to be funny.  
"You have no idea what was in there."  
Casey couldn't help but giggle. "What was in there?"  
"What _wasn't_ in there."  
They both started laughing again. Then silence. Derek cleared his throat and went back to being angry.  
"This is a big joke, I can't be your slave, I just can't. I'm Derek , I-"  
"Well, get used to it. unless you want George to know everything. Now, would you please take me upstairs? I'm really tired."

Casey noticed how Derek's hand shakened a little as he put his spoon down. This was a piece of cake, he had nothing to worry about, right? Besides, he was supposed to be angry at her...

"Derek, helloooo. are you in there?"  
Casey waved her hands in front of him and he jumped in surprise.  
"Okay queen klutz don't be so annoying, shut up or I won't take you upstairs."  
Casey stayed quiet. She could totally blackmail him, but she was too tired for that... but you know, there would always be a tomorrow.

Derek got up his seat and Casey turned to face him. He put his arms around her, and lifted her up. Casey was mortified.

_dejavu_

...but then again, she could totally get used to this.

He headed to the stairs. He hated the awkward silence, and decided to break it, as he went step by step.  
"Sooo, where did you left the crutches you used last time?"  
Casey jumped slightly from his sudden chatter.  
"Ahh, I dunno. My mom put them somewhere, never told me where though. Ed and Liz couldn't find them.."  
Derek had some difficulty watching his feet in every step, so he tried to tighten her higher. Casey was blushing furiously as his lips touched the side of her face. "Just great. I don't think I can handle carrying you for a whole month." Casey did not mind though...

"This is so annoying, I never thought I'd get so low as to carrying you."

He joked but Casey didn't quite thought it funny.  
Lizzie, Edwin and Marti jumped in surprise, got the hint and ran to their rooms.

He was heading to her room. Casey regained her senses and felt the anger strike her.

_How dare him?_

"Okay you know what? I didn't ask for this! You caused all of this and is your stupid fault!You stupid jerk!"

Derek had enough. He kicked her door open, threw her to the bed, and straddled her threateningly. Casey let out a yelp in surprise as her eyes widened.

"Derek what the heck-"

"Okay listen to me now! I know it's my fault that you hurt your ankle..._again_. But I didn't mean to this time! You don't have to rub it in my face all the time! Do you have any idea how annoying it is?"  
Casey was speechless. The whole situation had melted her brain. Her legs felt like spaghetti and her arms were like pudding. Her heart was racing like crazy. And she gave up to the breath she did not know she was holding.  
"I..I-"  
"What, cat got your tongue?"  
Casey came back to the senses she thought she'd never get back.

"**No**! I...just I, was caught by surprise, that's all..."

Derek changed to a serious aura.

"Uhu...do you have any idea what it feels like to be the one blamed for everything? huh?"

"I..."

She never actually thought of it. He was constantly blamed on, even when he had nothing to do with it, everybody would assume on him. But she guessed that was his own fault and the rebel rep he always had. Yet, again, he was a person with a heart, even if he said he wasn't.

Derek just kept looking at her. Damn she and her stubborn beauty. Why did his dad have to marry a woman with such a daughter?

"D-Derek, w-why are you staring at me like that?"

Even though everything was a joke to him, he tried his hardest to see her as part of his family, as his annoying 'sister'. But darn that was the hardest thing ever. He found himself staring at her lips again. He started cursing himself again.

_What the heck are you looking to, man? Is Casey! The klutz! The Dorkiest of the Dorks! _

_She cleans and does chores, **FOR FUN!** _

But Derek couldn't resist anymore and he allowed his face to reach in closer to hers, rubbing his nose against her face. He didn't know what to think. Maybe he was just trying to kiss any girl after his break up just to feel his _freedom_, or maybe, he was just trying to know what it would feel like to kiss... _her, _though in reality it would be like kissing any other girl, but for some reason he felt it would be totally new and different, something he helplessly craved for. If he hated something, that was uncertainty, and well,he just _had_ to know...

Casey? Casey had left the building, she was probably daydreaming in Jupiter again.

All of a sudden they heard someone sneeze, and someone else shushing him.

Derek and Casey widened their eyes, then looked around to see their rather ..compromising positions. Derek got alarmed and stood up abruptly. Casey backed away slowly.

Derek pointed a finger at her as he backed away."Uh, so yeah! that's all I wanted to say..stop being annoying!...I uh...see ya tomorrow!"

"...kay." She said softly.

Derek got out of her room as a lighting and closed the door behind him, then she heard him slam his door close. Casey felt somewhat embarrassed and disappointed, she got inside her covers and prayed for rest for she knew she would have none that night.

Then, she remembered that she had not brushed her teeth because Derek just _threw_ her into her room...oh heavens, she could hate him sometimes.

* * *

"Are you kidding me? Why couldn't you hold it"  
"I couldn't help it! I had to sneeze!"  
"Aw man! it was so close! You suck Edwin."  
"Hey!"  
"But you know what? I'm glad Marti is already asleep...oh my gosh I can't believe we got the picture!"  
"oh man, yeah!"  
"We have to make another plan, but tomorrow, I'm too tired now. night Ed"  
"Yeah see ya tomorrow Liz"  
They went each to their rooms smiling, for they had a picture, that proved their theory after all...

* * *

**-Sorry for the waiting! I had a phase of writer's block and you know how that is... also school work is a time sucker and is blamed for my absence D:**

**BIG ERROR I HAVE TO TELL YOU ABOUT: I started this story like a year ago,and updated all along this time.. so Sally was not even in scene yet when I made chapter one, so just go along with it and pretend Sally doesn't even exist _tee hee_.. XD **

**Sorry If you find any grammatic errors. English is not my first language he he... (hides)**

**Hehehe well I hope u liked this chapter. I love Marti! And the conspiracy between Ed and Liz. After I watched 'Things that Go bump in the Night' I couldn't help it.**

**Please give me a piece of your minds! ****I'd also like to see some constructive criticism, so I can become a better writer :)**

**I want to thank to all who actually reviewed my story, and for those several people who put an alert on it! It made my day!**

**Love you all!**

**~AmoreK**


	5. Doctor Liz

**Disclaimer**: I don't own El Dorado and I do NOT own LWD, ya HAPPY? x(

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

**"Doctor Liz"**

It was Saturday, nine o' clock and Derek was already awake.  
But he wasn't usually a morning person.

Scratch that.

He was **NEVER**, a morning person.

He was laying in his bed but his red and exhausting eyes were reading the ceiling as if it would tell him the secrets that life kept hidden, the winning number to the lottery, or the precious map to _El Dorado_.  
Truth is, he barely got some rest that night. He passed his night counting the small dots of each of the squares of his ceiling, adding them, creating figures with them.  
He was utterly confused and his head kept battling about his ineffable actions, and worst, he still had no idea what to do with the crashed TV on his living room. His parents would be home on Sunday night, and he had to think of something real fast, or else he would be claimed dead in forty-eight hours.

The sad thing was remembering that everytime he was restless, he would go downstairs and watch some TV or play Babe Rider until he was sleepy again.

In the middle of the night, however, he got out of bed and lazily made his way to the living room, sat on the couch, grabbed the remote and pressed the ON button but nothing happened. He then pressed it repeatedly grunting aloud as his eyes made their way to the crashed TV in front of him.

He cursed under his breath and mumbled _Klutz_ and as he went back to bed.

Every time he thought of closing his eyes, he would remember what happened at Casey's room. He would picture her shocked face as his nose rubbed against her blushed cheek. But what scared him the most, was that he actually liked what he was doing. He buried his face under his pillows trying to sleep but he would get none; so he would roll around desperate, and start counting the dots all over again, which suspiciously enough started to form her face, and he watched dazed.

...exhaustion was playing tricks on him...again.

_Sleep you idiot! SLEEEEEEEP!_

_Sleep! Sle - Those blue eyes, her smile, her long beautiful hair, her dorky yet cool personality...her - **Aaaah**! Why do I get these thoughts about her? This is soooo wrong, in so many ways! She's my step-sister for God's sake!...well we're not related, at all...soo is really not that bad...**NO**!WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME, OH MY GOD, AM I TURNING INTO A DESPERATE DIRTY OLD MAN?'_

He kept slamming his head against the pillows.  
Honestly, he had no idea why on earth he did what he did, he was as confused as Casey, who surprisingly enough, was still asleep despite her normal early curfew.

She knew he didn't like to wake up early, specially on Saturdays, and since she couldn't go downstairs for breakfast without the help of her so dear slave, she decided to give him more rest, which eventually made her sleepy. She could've well jumped her way to her desk and do some reading, or some extra credit assignments, but unlikely, she just laid in her bed instead.  
Lizzie was the first one to notice Casey's weird absence on the kitchen and went to her room; she shot a confused look when she saw Casey's head buried under her pillows. Her messy hair all around the place and soft snores could be heard. Casey oversleeping?

"Case, c'mon wake up"  
"Mmph"  
"Wake up Casey"  
"Mmmmmph"  
"I know **_quite_ **a night, but ya hafta wake up"  
Casey quickly popped her head out of her pillows.  
"What did you just said?" Lizzie swallowed hard.

"Uh, he he. Nothing...err...C'mon get up"  
Casey sat up and looked at her sister suspiciously for a second but her expression soon changed at one of concern as she looked down and her fingers played with the ends of her pink pijamas. Lizzie just perked up her eyebrows slightly amused by her sister's morning appearance.

"L-Lizzie... I would've never talked about this, but n-now I do, but it's complicated, and I hope you want to hear it because I need my little sister to be there for me when I need her, and I need to get this out of my chest, and, and, and please sit down!"

Casey took sharp breaths after finishing her long sentence that apparently needed to be finished without a break. Lizzie's eyes widened and she sat on her bed next to her, knowing drama was around the corner. "O-kay...what's up..."

"Lizzie, be totally honest with me"  
"Sure." She said simply.  
"Promise you will tell me the truth"  
"Casey, I will"  
"Okay...I...I...Promise?"  
"Aaagh, **YES**! Now, tell me!" Casey took another breath and then looked at Lizzie in the eyes.  
"Do you,"  
"Do you,"  
Lizzie was getting closer and scared with each word, maybe her sister was about to ask her if she and Edwin knew what happened last night. What if she asked why she knew about her and Derek, why were they planning to get them togethe-

"Do you...Do you think I'm ugly?"

Lizzie's head dropped down until her face fell on her sister's bed. There she was thinking the worst and her sister blurts out a totally unusual question. Leave it to Casey McDonald to ask such things!

Lizzie sat up. "...Come again?" Casey sighed.

"I asked you if I'm ugly, not pretty 'n stuff.."

Lizzie started laughing when she got a good look at her sister, Casey's messy hair and her pink pajamas with cute monkeys all over was not helping but Casey was quite pretty, so she just laughed at her odd question.

"Don't laugh I'm being serious!"

"Casey, sorry for laughing but why are you asking? Is way too funny"

"Answer me please Liz."

Lizzie rolled her eyes and sighed, knowing Casey was going through those Drama Queen phases.

"Casey, you are a very pretty girl, why do you ask?"

"I don't know..is just, have you ever liked a guy but it would seem that you are just not good enough for him? Or he would just simply not see you in the same way?"

Lizzie had a blank expression on her face.

".. kinda yeah, but-"

"And you kinda want to get his attention but at the same time you don't, and he doesn't get it and everything is..messed up?"

"Well...Not **that** complicated."

Casey just sighed exasperated rubbing her temples.

"Sorry Liz, I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear it, what time is it?"

"...Past nine.." Lizzie said in a robot voice.

Despite to Casey's thoughts, she was very interested in Casey's dilemma...er...this time.

"Say, Case, do you really, really _**like-like**_ this guy?"

Casey started laughing with the fakest laughter she could ever give

"Who, Me? Nooo, pfft!...nah...nuh-uh...kinda,just a little... yeah...a **lot**."

Casey blushed and looked away embarrassed. It wasn't like she was in love with him or anything, ha...ha just a little...no wait, yeah she was...

"But you think he's not into you.."  
"Uhu."  
"Why do think so?"  
Casey started thinking for a second, then sighed and a sad expression overwhelmed her features.

"Well, we're **very** different. He's very popular, I'm **not**. He's attractive, flirtatious,and very self-concious of his charms. He owns the school attention. He's the captain of the...er his sport team; He likes very pretty girls, party girls, popular ones, usually _blondes_..I'm not like any of that kind... whenever I'm around him, he acts somewhat awkward, he seems calmed and anxious at the same time. He always tells me how he can't stand me, or at least he shows it. When we're close he just tries to avoid me, which is kind of normal for him. Wait no, he **ALWAYS** tries to avoid me, I can tell he hates me and being around me...and so, I pretend to hate him, so he doesn't get to see my feelings. And we're even at hating each other

...Like a weird soap opera isn't it?"

After a very shocked Lizzie digested every word Casey said she blurted out without thinking.

"Aww, c'mon Case, he doesn't hate you!"

"Aah...I didn't even tell you who I'm talking about Liz..he hates me, I **know **it."

"Did he ever say that he hated you?"

"Well, yeah.. not so serious, but his actions say more than words Liz."

"Ah...right, but trust me, I know he doesn't hate you. You are tons of fun to be around, plus you're very pretty, smart, organized and nice. You're way better than all of those girls you mentioned. Way better."

"Really? Aw thank you Lizzie."

Usually an ego buster would help before a great presentation or something that would be nerve wrecking for Casey, but Lizzie was being honest and caring for her sister's sake.

Casey's face of agony dissipated and then she chuckled.  
"...What's so funny, Case?"  
"Huh? sorry Liz, is just kinda funny that I'm expecting guy advice from you"  
"Hey! I may be young and..not know a lot... but this time, I know just what you can do"  
Lizzie smiled and cleared her throat as if she was about to make a formal speech.  
Casey eyed her quizzically anticipating a joke.

"Why being afraid? Maybe you should be more friendly, make him know that you don't hate him, try not being so hostile. He may be treating you that way because he does think you actually hate him. Try spending more time with him, find out what he likes,treat him with more attention, he obviously is too dense to notice, go a little further...without being ridiculously obvious of course, and so, he may get the message. Who knows he might feel the same way. Give hate, you get ...hate?...or something like that."

Casey blinked after what seemed a lifetime.

Lizzie went on.

"...I think...that, maybe...he's _**afraid**_ of... liking _you_."

Lizzie finished her last sentence without further thought, more to herself than to Casey.

Casey was taken aback, her eyes were as wide as they could be and her mouth was slightly open.  
"L-Lizzie, how did you...wow w-where did you learn this?"  
"...er ..In a Seventeen Magazine." Lizzie said grinning widely. Casey let out some chuckles.

"Casey? He doesn't hate you. I promise."

Casey was totally dumbfounded, why was Lizzie so sure that he didn't hate her, did Lizzie knew something she didn't? Casey never mentioned his name...but her words sure made her feel better, after all, Ed didn't call her Doctor Liz for nothing.

"Thank you Liz, magazine or not, it means a lot."

"You're welcome, haha. Come on, I'll call delivery boy." Lizzie made her way out Casey's room.

"No! Wait! Lizzie!" Casey loud whispered.

But Lizzie was already inside Derek's room. Casey panicked and moved her sheets off her body and awkwardly jumped her way to the bathroom.

"Ow, ow, ow"

She brushed her teeth as a lighting before she jumped back to her room and got inside her sheets just as Lizzie came back smiling. Casey was breathing hard and smiling nervously at Lizzie, who just shot her a curious glance.  
"Uh...Derek was kinda grumpy but he said he'll be here in a minute.." Casey gulped.

"How does my hair look?" She asked breathlessly before Lizzie was out of her room.

"Uh..messy?..why?"

"He..he, just curious that's all"

"O-k...see you downstairs..."

"L-Lizzie? ...What did you mean by 'maybe he's afraid of liking you'?"

"Oh...that's just what I think, don't worry about it."

Lizzie said before leaving. As her younger sister left, Casey tried to fix her hair quickly, brushing it with her fingers.

"Just great...I'm becoming even more pathetic... to the grade I don't get my sister's concepts."

"Glad you finally accept it Spacey."

Casey quickly turned around to find Derek leaning on her door smirking. Casey couldn't help but give her eyes the good gift of looking to her jerk-ish but hot step-brother, then she noticed the huge bags below his eyes, and his hair messier than ever. She then felt her heart hammering against her chest and looked down at her hair strands. Her short breaths were not helping, though.

"Ugh...you"  
She acted annoyed, but in the inside she was melting like Swiss cheese in an oven.

_'Man, even with that dead sleepy face he looks good...No! I am pretending to hate him, I need to acquire it! Casey repeat: He's an egotistical pig who just cares about himself! I hate him, I hate him, I hate him, I hated him, I love him, I love him, I..wait what? Nooo! Um, um, think of , of , of Max! yeah Max! Derek's ugly and Max's cuter than him, Max's hotter than Derek, Max's hotter than Derek, Derek's waaay hotter than Max...Aaaaargh God, this is endless!'_

Despite her inside war that he was completely oblivious of, he looked at her and strangely enough he smiled dearly when he saw the monkeys on her pajamas. For some reason, she always liked them, like Marti, something Derek thought odd, but cute...not that he would ever admit it to anyone. Short as the moment could get, his sweet smile disappeared to a smirk as soon as her nervous eyes found his.

"Oh yes me. Dear owner what does thou hast in mind for today?What does thy klutzy princess-ness desires?"

He mocked before he yawned. If he was going to be her slave, at least he was going to have fun with it. The bad impression of poetry was tempting for her, but of course everything she really longed for was kept inside her mind.

_Maybe he's afraid of liking you_

Her sister's phrase echoed through her mind.

"Uh, to get downstairs Shakespeare... ah, why do you look so tired?" She asked confused but slightly amused.  
He yawned once again, ignored her question and was about to walk his way to her but he stopped abruptly with wide eyes as memories came crashing down of the previous night.

_'Get it together Venturi! You are ahead of your game and there's tons of girls out there for you to date.I repeat, **TONS**! There's nothing in Casey McDonald that attracts you. Nothing! Is just the lack of sleep, yeah that's it! There's a lot of Blondies out there, a lot of air heads, a lot of brunettes...brunettes with brains...that care for school work, and clean for fun, with blue eyes, great body...dancing skills... **Ow Darn**! You can't like her! She hates you! You hate her! ...Ok I don't hate her, but I can't like her, I just can't. _

_That would be so wrong... but since when did I turn into a moralist?_

_Note to self: Stop observing Casey while she dances, get away from her as much as possible. Don't touch her, stop trying to analyze her ...wait, I analyze? Since when?'_

He kept doing those mental notes, from quite some time now. However, none of them usually worked.

"Uh, I..I need to make some things clear." He said uncomfortable.

She looked away and started brushing her hair with her hands once again, pretending to be calmed and cool, refusing to meet his gaze. He stood there entranced, looking at her, caressing each strand with her fingers, wishing he could get closer and play with her hair as well. He shook his head as if cleaning his head, put his hands on his waist as he walked around in circles for a moment, as if thinking what to say or not. She just looked at him through the corner of her eyes.

He kept his eyes on the floor and sighed before saying,

"I...I don't want you to think that something was bound to happen...last night. Ahh...After I drank that horrible soda...I- I was not feeling well, and so, I was not myself at the moment... I-It was an accident and well, let's just pretend it never happened okay? we hate each other... and that's the end of the story."

Since when did he stutter? Derek Venturi didn't stutter!  
And since when did his lies become less real and dumb?

He mentally slapped himself for the lamest lie he had ever created. How in the world would he be drawn to kiss her because of a soda infested with mustard,and... what not?

He finished, reluctant to look at her. She was obviously hurt but hid it by inspecting her polished nails. _Sad_? Yes. But _Upset_ was the word she was looking for. That's the way he handled his problems, avoiding them...but, was she really a problem to him? Was she really that low to him?

_He doesn't hate you_.

Yeah, right.

"Yeah... whatever. Don't worry Venturi, it **never** happened."

She said his last name like it was venom to her lips, so serious Derek wondered if it was caused by anger, sadness or annoyance, it was so unlike her, to leave a subject alone. But whatever the reason for her behavior, the means remained hidden for him.

She stood up indignant and jumped her way to the stairs keeping her head up high, and refusing to look at Derek, who just followed from behind in disbelief.

"Aahh, what are you doing?" He asked incredulously.  
"I'm going downstairs, with**out** your help." She said haughty. But she kept bumping with furniture and Marti's toys all over the place.

"Ow, owww.."

"..Need some help?"

"**No**! Thank you very much!"

"Hey, then Liz woke me up for nothing?"

"Guess so!"

_Have some pride,have some pride._ She kept repeating to herself_._

Casey wrapped her arms around the stair rail, and awkwardly tried to jump some steps.

Derek just followed amused. This was too good to be ignored, no matter how much he kept telling himself to leave her alone.

After the second step, her socks slipped against the wood and fell backwards, but Derek caught her before she could hit the stairs. His hands found her waist, turned her around and lifted her on his shoulder like he would do with Marti. As he went downstairs laughing, a blushing and horribly scared Casey kept hitting his back.

"**De-rek! **If you drop me you're soooo dead! De-reeeek! Stop it! Let me down!**LET. ME. DOWWWWWN**!"

He kept cursing at himself for breaking his oath of distance, but he just enjoyed teasing her, that was what he did for a living, and so he liked having her close...closer than he expected...strangely enough.

Lizzie, that was brushing her teeth, was close enough to hear Derek's and Casey's conversation, and went running to the attic.

"Edwin, open up!" Soon enough, Edwin opened the door and let her in.  
"What's up"  
"Derek's afraid!" Lizzie threw her hands in the air, and kept walking around his room.

"Huh? Derek? Afraid? Yeah right.."

"How couldn't I see it! Of course he's afraid, that's why he lives in denial!"

"Y'know, it would be wonderful if I could understand what you're talking about." As much as Lizzie wanted to tell him, she kept the secret she knew Derek would thank her one day...that was if her plan worked out.

"Never mind that. Edwin, bad news. Guess it's time for plan C."

"Plan C? What was plan B?"

"Plan B was when we hid Casey's clutches under your bed remember?"

"Ooh yeah, that was a good one!" He laughed.

"Focus! Okay, I think I know what to do next. But I'll try this on my own. I'll go talk to Derek."

"**WHAT**? Liz are you out of your mind? What are you gonna say: 'You clueless teenagers, it's so freakin' obvious, get it over with!'"

Lizzie rolled her eyes.  
"No you fool! I kinda know how to reach Derek. It's risky, but it might work. But you're gonna have to help me keep Casey from calling him or being close while I talk to him."

She smiled at him trying to convince him.

"Pleeeease." She got closer to him and made her hands look like paws under her chin.

"...Not the puppy eyes!...Aaah okay! But be careful. No fair your puppy eyes work all the time."

"Years of practice."

She smirked at him as they both headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Only to find Derek and Casey covered in flour, wrestling and yelling at each other.

* * *

**Cliffie! :O he he**

** I know, I know! This should've been released looooong ago, but writer's block is super evil and it takes strong imagination to defeat it. Waaaa I'm not so happy with this chapter, but I hope you like it :) There's s****mall reference to Ashley's personality in Casey, hehe. The ooc-ness is for story purposes. **

**And So! This story goes on! : I didn't want to write a huge intro and keeping you guys from reading the story! How lame would that make me?**** P**

Nooo, some sadness, and fights! Well, you don't expect the lovey-ness(is that even a word?) to come right away do you? h he. Ever read all of those stories out there where Derek is head over heels for Casey and over the story she falls for him as well and ya dee ya da? Well, I decided to do it all the way around, she's the one crazy for him, and he's still discovering his feelings, because I think is a bit more realistic, you see Derek with tons of crushes, but in love?...hehe but I promise the dasey fluff will happen! xD Why? Because despite the fact that I don't own Lwd, I do own this story mwahahaha...err...yeah so anyways I hope u forgive the wait and enjoyed this chapter :D

******Please give me a piece of your minds about this story so far, good or bad, it will help me a lot! Also if you find grammar errors of funky words, feel free to tell me, english is not my first language, but I sure love it xD**REVIEWS, make my life happier, and make me get on my butt and write faster! :P

**BIG thanks to all of you who enjoy reading this story and actually show it by taking some of your time and leaving a review! :D You seriously make my day! Luv ya! **

**~AmoreK**


	6. Denial

**Disclaimer: No own Derek :/**

Whenever you see conversations together like:

"blah""blah" lol

means they're in unison. Hope you like this chapter, remember R&R :) Luv ya!

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

**Denial**

The view was hilarious, but Edwin and Lizzie had to butt in eventually.

"What in the world is going on!"

Ed yelled, trying to be serious and act like his dad, but holding his laughter was a hard task.

Derek and Casey froze.

Derek was behind her and had his hands around her waist; both her arms were wrapped around his left arm as she was about to bite it for release. They both got free from each other's grip and pointed their fingers at each other, as they yelled:

**"HE STARTED IT!" "SHE STARTED IT!"**

**"NO I DIDN'T! YOU DID!" "NO I DIDN'T! YOU DID!"**

**"ME? IT WAS YOUR FAULT!" "ME? IT WAS YOUR FAULT!"**

"What happened?" Asked Lizzie looking at the flour that adorned every aspect of their kitchen.  
Derek and Casey started yelling their own versions of the story, making no sense whatsoever.

"Okay! Okay! we have no idea what you guys are saying!"

Edwin and Lizzie tried their hardest to hold their laughter, but soon enough gave in.

Casey and Derek glared darkly at each other, but seeing their white faces as sprinkles of flour fell from their noses whenever they breathed, was not helping.

Soon enough the corners of their lips started twitching, glares fighting laughter, but glares lost as they both burst into hysterical laughter.

"Don't..." Burst of laughter. "...laugh!..." laughter. "I'm mad at you!..." Peals of laughter.

"You're face...I can't help it!..." Derek answered between his chuckles.

After a while, Casey had ceased laughing but Derek kept chuckling.

"Okay enough already, help me clean Derek." Derek trailed off.

"Oh so you're gonna clean now? Funny."

"You know what? I just remembered. I command you to clean up this mess." She said smiling.

"Oh, heck no!"

"Yup, you can clean and I'll just watch."

"Or you can shut up and I can leave."

"**De-rek!**"

"_De_-rek!" He mocked her using a girly voice.

"Just go ahead and clean you guys...and tell why you're covered with flour..." Marti said chuckling as she popped into the scene.

Casey rolled her eyes as sprinkles of flour fell from her eyelashes.

"Well, after Derek...er brought me downstairs, I told him that pancakes would be a good idea.  
I asked him to take out some of the ingredien-"

"Ahem, you didn't ask me, you ordered me."

"ANYWAY, he took them out, and I was sitting here at the island counter, to make the mix. I asked him to fill up a cup of flour but he refused saying that cooking was for girls!"

"I'm Derek, I don't do cooking." He smirked as he started teasing.

"I only asked you to fill up a cup with flour, that's not even cooking, you freak!"

"Whatever princess, I did it anyway..."

"I asked him to pass me the flour, and he wouldn't do it!"

"So then she repeated _'Derek, give me the flour.'_ I said that she wasn't the boss of me-"

"Jerk."

"Whatever, you didn't get it and said _'hello! slave contract'_..."

Casey and Derek started to argue with each other while the others just watched bored, used to their ranting.

"Then you yelled _'give me the flour...**slave!**_"

"And you threw the flour on my face!"

Derek started laughing.

"You said you wanted it, no? Besides what do you complain about, you grabbed the flour bag and poured it over my head!" He then frowned.

"You deserved it!"

Derek was now nose to nose with Casey, as they argued. The three younger siblings were beyond amused. Derek sure was arguing, and Casey as well but she was totally aware of Derek closeness, and she was still sitting on one of the stools of the island counter. She tried to back off a little, only causing for Derek to step closer.

"**O-kay! **We get it! Very funny! Gee, You can clean now. Lizzie, Marti and I already ate."

Edwin said to break the arguing. Derek jumped slightly as he noticed they weren't alone. Edwin, Lizzie and Marti then left the kitchen.

He realized that for some weird reason he quite enjoyed invading Casey's personal space, or _bubble_, as she liked to call it. He felt that she was nervous and vulnerable under that tough act of hers, but he thought he was only imagining things.

But imagination sure could be his best friend.

He couldn't help but like that feeling.

_Intimidating her._

But not in the bad sense of the word, but rather feeling like she was being somewhat seduced out of her stubbornness, and disarmed from all her weapons.

He liked having some control...specially now that he was her so called _slave._

In the other hand, he knew very well that if she wanted, she could have the same power against him. She could too seduce him out of his stubbornness and get her way, she was a woman after all. And that's what he feared the most, that he would not be able to be strong enough to avoid it, and be hypnotized by her female charms. He always bragged about how strong he was, yet his weaknesses kept hidden from everyone, or so he hoped.

Because it now seemed that his weaknesses grouped together in... just **one** girl.

What would become of Derek Venturi if his power was crushed by... a- a girl?

He shuddered at the thought. But he was confused.

Why was she nervous? Why would she be intimidated by him? She never had before.

A year ago she would've push him away, yell and grunt. But now she would stutter, blink like a thousand times and breathe harder whenever he was beyond the agreed one-foot policy.

An odd fact that he was starting to secretly like. He liked thinking that he had that effect on her.

**Ego much? **

He thought not.

He remembered that without the use of words, he would always die to reach out and shut her up in the best way he could leave a girl speechless, but years of practice taught him self-control enough to paralyze him at the right distance. But he always wondered if he would loose to his impulses sooner or later.

"**Hello**! Earth to Derek!"

Casey poked his arm repeatedly. Derek jumped back blushing as he realized he had spaced out right in front of her.

How odd...he was blushing?

But Casey didn't notice his crimson cheeks for the flour on his face made him as white as a ghost.

"Wow, you stood there for like 30 seconds, staring off space."

She said with her brow knitted together in wonder. Derek was alarmed.

"Cleaning! yeah clean, clean..." Blankly, he grabbed a rag and started cleaning where it was already clean. Casey was totally weirded out but got off the seat and started helping with the most she could do with an injured ankle.

"Stop that, I'm cleaning." He said annoyed without looking at her.  
"What the-? But I wanna clean too!"  
"Well, don't ´cause I am"

She grabbed the rag from him and stood up supporting herself on the counter. He stood as well.

"Casey. Give. Me. The Rag." He said threateningly.

"Make. Me."

She said dangerously, trying to sound frightening, but the only effect it had was making Derek's spine shiver and bristled the hair at the back of his neck, in a.. not so scary way.

"Do whatever you want, 'cause I'm not giving you the rag." She stated playfully.  
He then smirked triumphant at her, as he came closer.

"What are you gonna do about it, you can't run remember?" Her smile faded and she gulped hard. He sure was enjoying the moment. He got even closer.

"Rag. please..." Her heart hammered against her chest.

"...No."

"Casey? Rag. **Now**"

"No!"

"Give it!"

"But w-what if, if the rag didn't want to be around the flour?"

He eyed her in disbelief but decided to played along.

"Ok, and why would that be? what did the flour ever do to the rag?" He asked even though he well knew the answer.

"W-well, maybe the flour has not been a good floury friend to the rag...has said and d-done things that were not...appropriate.." He got even closer to the point that she could count his hidden freckles across his face.

"Is that so?...what if the flour was only kidding, and didn't...mean those things, and wanted to start... from zero."

"What..if the rag is...not sure whether or not the flour is lying?" Casey's eyes glued to his white lips then went back to his auburn eyes.

"Ouch, the flour's hurt, the rag doesn't trust him"

"It's the flour's fault after all." She said almost in fade whisper. Derek's eyes wandered towards her lips.

"Nah, is the rag's fault for driving the flour crazy all the time." Derek said, placing his hands on each side of the counter behind her, similar to what she did on his dream.

"T-t-that's because the flour keeps getting under the rag's skin..."

"...What if the flour did all those things..b-because it was a-afraid to be _honest_"

He didn't know why but the weird conversation was going somewhere he did not like at all. And his words came out involuntarily.

"Why would it be afraid of being open?"

"M-maybe...he was a-afraid of, of what the rag would...think."

They both kept their eyes locked to each other. Breathing slowly. All of a sudden he cupped her cheeks and slowly collided his forehead with hers. He could feel her shiver. Then she closed her eyes, and her lips parted slightly as if anticipating the obvious.

She had a mix of feelings overwhelming her. A shock of electricity from his touch ran to every corner of her being making the only leg she was using for support, to shake and start to fade from strenght.

He had the chance.

That was the moment.

His hands memorized the softness of her crimson cheeks as his eyes looked at her closed lids and back to her lips.

But his thoughts started to confuse him again.

_You can't like her._

_You can't have her._

_She's not for you._

_You can't have her because,_

_...she's just too good for you Venturi._

He reached for her lips hesitant, but before he could taste them, he backed off and put his hands down to his sides. Without saying a word, he headed to the laundry room for a broom and started sweeping the floor. Anger in his eyes, cursing himself for being the biggest coward in the face of the planet.

Casey just stood there, speechless, looking straight off space. Her hands were shaking, but soon enough she crossed her arms to hide them. He had tried to kiss her, again! There's was no doubt about it! But he backed away...again.

She wanted to think it was the flour. I mean, who would want to kiss some lips covered with flour?  
But she was crazy about him! She would've kiss him even if it tasted like the gross soda with mustard!...okay maybe not.

But then again why would he stop? Why would he give attempts of kissing her if he hated her?

Why would he even try if he would back away as soon as she had taken the illusion of the moment?  
Could it be that he knew her feelings, and he was only playing and torturing her?  
She could feel the burn of tears averting but she blinked several times to keep from crying.

"Casey? use the rag and clean the counter." Derek said coldly without looking at her.

As soon as she got to see a peek of a different side of him, the big jerk Derek came crashing down. She rolled her eyes in anger and started cleaning reluctantly...for once.

"This is so sad, and pathetic!" Edwin whispered from the couch to Lizzie. Marti was upstairs making "_art"_ with Derek's magazines.  
"I know!" Said Lizzie rolling her eyes.  
"I mean, everybody else knows it but them."  
"Yeah..."  
Lizzie kept looking at Edwin from the corner of her eyes.  
_If only you knew._ she thought.

* * *

After cleaning the kitchen, Casey was not hungry at all and asked Lizzie and Edwin to help her upstairs. She was too emotional and was not ready to face Derek just yet, if he was only going to play tricks on her.

She needed to take a shower to wash away all the flour and her emotions with it.

But Marti had invaded the bathroom and was now making "_potions."_ So she asked them to take her to her room instead, she could wait for a little while.  
As soon, as they got her to her room, Lizzie eyed Edwin and he got the hint.

It was time for the big talk with Derek.

* * *

Derek had called Sam as soon as the others were upstairs, he told him about the Tv incident, (leaving out all the Casey details)and asked him to investigate where to get the same kind of TV, if he would.

After he hung up, infuriated, Derek was walking in circles in front of the crashed TV. Humming, clenching his teeth, and rubbing his temples.

He was angry because he had no idea how to replace the TV.  
He was angry because he was hungry.  
He was angry because he should have been sleeping.  
And he was incredibly angry because Casey was off limits , and he could never show her what he felt...wait...did he feel anything for her?

No he didn't...

Ok well.

Let's recall some facts.

**Old abandoned Conscience calling Derek.**

Ahem.

_-Why were you wrestling with Sam about the sibling code again?  
Was it for embarrassment that Klutzilla would go out with your best friend?  
_

_YES!...No...err whatever..._

_-What is it that creates that funny feeling inside you're stomach whenever she is close?_

_...I was just hungry at the moment ...that was all. _

_-All the time?_

_...don't push it!_

_-Or what is that makes your eyes follow her steps wherever she would go? Watch while she dances or the desire to find out details you didn't know about her?_

_She was just too funny to look at...ha...ha...those details?...err... totally weird._

_-Then why would you dream about her..._

_...Nightmares I tell ya..._

_-Reaaaaaaally?_

_...YES!_

_-Why would the 'Casey subject' be brought up in your dates or relationships? _

_You're crazy I never think of Casey when I'm out in dates! I never mention her to my dates!_

_-Nobody said you did._

_...damn it!...anyways, I always talk bad about her, so what's the big deal._

_-That you talk about her anyway._

_..._

_-Why is it that whenever she brought guys over, you would always brag about yourself to outshine them? _

_WHEN? ... No I didn't!_

_-Or.. well, try to embarrass Casey in front of them?_

_Casey is a loser, the world deserved to know._

_-What about the secret anger you felt toward Max._

_I´ve never felt anything toward anybody. I'm Derek, I don't "feel" a thing._

_-Then why did you feel jealous when you saw him kissing Casey at school, when they were still going out?_

_I WAS NOT JEALOUS! THAT DUDE CAN HAVE HER FOR ALL I CARE! _

_-Really?_

_-WHATEVER. THEY BROKE UP! I DON'T CARE!_

_..._

The weirdest conversation with himself had ended but he kept pacing around.

He hummed at the name of Max. Max was a nice guy and Derek was kind of.. ok with him. But for some reason Derek secretly hated the guy.

Why?

He didn't know.

He just did.

First off all, because Max was in the football team and was the captain.

Derek was in the hockey team, and he was the captain.

Rivalry was bound to happen... _right?_

Lizzie was coming from the stairs when the phone rang. She just froze and stayed there. Derek answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Ah, hey Derek, ...I was wondering if I could speak with Case."

"Who's this?"

"It's Max."

Strangely enough, Derek clenched his teeth and felt his blood boiling. The phone slipped from his hand and fell on the floor. He cleared his throat, picked it up and put it next to his ear again. He felt the urge to know. And well, his wise side...if he had any...had left him for a moment. Words came out without forethought.

"_Ahem,_ hey Max. And may I know why do you wanna speak with her?"

"It's kinda personal...dude can I talk to her?-"

"Casey's busy."Derek slapped coldly.

"ok...With what?"

"I'm not her babysitter. How should I know?"

"Err...if you don't know, then how do you know she's busy?"

"I just do, okay! Unless you tell me why are you calling her...she **might** come."

"Dude...no offense but, why do **you **care?"

"...I don't. Besides, aren't ex-boyfriends supposed to not call their ex's anymore?"

"Aah..sorry _D_ but I don't think this has anything to do with you. Please, put Casey on the phone."

"It's **Derek**. And no, until you tell me why you're calling her."

"Fine. I want to ask her to get back together." Max said simply.

Derek dropped the phone once again and his jaw tightened. He picked up the phone reluctantly.

"Like I said. She's busy. She can't answer the phone."

"What the-? but you said she'd come if I told you!"

"Mmm, guess I'm a pretty good liar."

"Derek, no offense but we used to kinda, get along...and you're acting really strange. Do you...dare I say..._like_ Casey? Because... it seems that you're jealous."

"What the?...WHAT?...I'M **NOT **JEALOUS!"

"... o-k , Derek."

**"...Aaagh go to hell!"**

Derek hang up and threw the phone to the couch, he turned around to run upstairs when he spotted a wide-open-eyes Lizzie in front of him.

_Oh boy._

Derek started breathing rapidly. He scratched the back of his neck nervously as he looked at Lizzie.

"L-Lizzie! heeey...how, how long have you, been there?" He was in total panic.

"...Enough." She stated still in shock.

Derek just looked away embarrassed and sat on the couch giving his back to her. He buried his face on his hands then ran his hands through his hair. Lizzie took a sharp breath before going and sit next to him.

_This is it_. She thought.

"Derek. Can I...talk to you?"

Derek just eyed her from the corner of his eyes in total embarrassment. This was new for him, he had never felt embarrassment of that kind, before. He felt a huge weight on his chest, as he breathed sharply. His hands started sweating and he brushed them off on his pants with green squary pattern. He sighed several times before speaking.

"...aah I'm kinda not in the moo-"

"I knew about it, but I never thought you cared about her that much." Lizzie cut him off. Derek quickly turned around and saw Lizzie looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"What are you talking about, I never-"

"Save it. I know everything Derek."

She said softly. Derek was alarmed. She knew _**everything**_?

Did she even know what he didn't know about what he always wondered if he even knew?...okay that didn't make sense.

"W-what do you m-mean, Lizzie?" Lizzie looked at him and gave him a comforting and petite smile.

"I always knew you liked my sister. But don't worry, I won't tell her if you don't want me to." Derek's eyes got wide and his gaze started to explore the remains of glass from the TV screen.

"I-I-I...don't ...is not like that.." She smiled and looked at the floor as well.

"I always wondered why you always found time for my sister, even if it was just to annoy her. Some way or another, you always talked about her, planned pranks for her, and sometimes helped her out. I knew you didn't hate her. Because if you did, you wouldn't tease her the way you do. You tease her in a way that she fights back and both of you actually end up laughing. But if you hated her you would try to avoid her because she would be a total bore for you; you wouldn't waste your time so much on what to say to her or what to do to her; you would simply stay away from her and ignore her and be a **real** jerk to her...but you just can't seem to stay away from her, can you?"

She looked at him, who refused to look back.

Derek didn't respond, this he didn't know, but somehow, it made total sense.

Lizzie kept talking, but his mind had wandered somewhere else, deep into an ocean of thoughts he thought nonexistent.

He actually never thought on how much time and effort he invested in Casey. He never thought of the consequences of living to annoy her. Even if it was to make her life misserable, he was spending his life for her. And he had not thought about it **at all**.

His head was always full of ideas on how to make Casey's day a torture.

How he made her klutz rep at school, and then fixed it up with the help of Sam.

How he put her clothes and other stuff on her school locker; in the inside, he liked that she could have chosen Nora's clothes, but she chose to go to his room and wear his clothes...and deodorant?...a fact that made him think deeply.

Re-write her poems at school, which by that he had to hack her computer...

New planned pranks:

How he would hide her agenda inside the hockey magazines, where she'd never look, and make her insane and run around the house looking for it in total desperation. After all, to hide her agenda was her idea for a Halloween scare.

How he would fill her shampoo with honey... and make her smooth brown hair sticky and a nightmare for her to deal. Then she would wash it away with her lillies shampoo and smell better than ever.

All the stuff he ever did or planned to do, involved her somehow even if it was to annoy her.

He enjoyed it as long as it was just **him** who did it, and **no one else**.

It was like grade school stuff.

He realized that all of it was scary enough to be called a crush, or more than that.

And that fact scared the heck out of him. Also, it brought a new revelation he always thought blurry.

**Why** did he do these things?

Didn't he had better things to do like flirting with babes, eating burgers and watching hockey games?

Was it that he was addicted with the hobby? Why on earth did he had the necessity of messing up wit her? Could it be that he did all of those things because she was his step-sister? Because if he didn´t, he would drive crazy?

Then why did he want to hate her, but he couldn't? Why did he like having her around?

Why did he liked her company and her dorky ideas? Why did he liked her keener personality?** Why?**

Why did he like her reassuring smile that everything would be alright when he knew it wouldn't, and still made him hope?

Why did he like that naive personality of hers? Why did he like the fact that she could be surprisingly evil as well and beat off his plans?

But what he had not planned was that the whole _Screw Casey's life _plan actually backfired.

Because the whole plan betrayed him by accidentally falling little by little, for the girl he was supposed to hate...wait, he loved her?

Nah.

He couldn't.

He had never loved before, he didn't know love, how was he supposed to know what he felt towards her was love and not just some odd lusty crush that wears off after awhile?

Did he like her...a lot?

Finally and reluctantly admitted, Yes.

Love her? He was not sure.

But then he couldn't help but compare his past relationships and what he felt towards them and what he felt now. There was something there with this new feeling the others were lacking. Mostly everything the other ones offered him were physical.

Why did he tried to make Casey jealous with every girl he ever dated after she came to live in his house? Why did he fixed his posture, feel anxious and excited whenever she came into the scene?

Why did he tried to improve his grades to show them off to her but secretly hoping for her approval and admiration?

Why did he feel that she was worth to try to change his ways to please her?

Why did he feel prideful and deserver of the fact that he knew the real Casey, the one no one else knew? But still desire to know more of her and be eager to discover what was inside her mind every day?

Even if those things meant schoolwork, klutziness, lame romanticism, or feminism somehow he now felt the desperate necessity to know...

Why would he die to have her in his arms, caress her cheek, play with her hair, and kiss her lips... among other things? Why would he want to know everything he didn't know about her? Why would he defend her against others, and do things for her that would be inexplicably sweet?

Was that ...lov-

"Penny for your thoughts." Said Lizzie amused.

"..."

He looked at her then he looked back at the shine of the pieces of glass against the light of the window. He could see a rainbow of glittering colors around the aura.

"I-I know how scary it is to like somebody you think you're supposed to see in a different way, or supposed to hate." She interrupted his thoughts.

Derek looked at her with his eyes full of wonder, but he was polite enough to not ask.

"Know this," Lizzie then looked at him straight in the eyes.

"if you don't do something now, somebody else will. Today, you answered Max's call, but who knows if Casey answers the phone later on?"

Derek looked down. She was right.

"I heard Noel likes her too, you know? the one she kissed on the play you guys did?" Lizzie teased. Derek looked at her in disbelief, and anger.

"Oooh yeah, mister, you have a lot of competition."

Derek kept his anger to himself.

"I can just tell you this: She thinks you hate her."

Derek frowned and looked at her with hurt. Did she really think that?

"I don't hate her Lizzie."

"I know **that**," she smiled as if saying _duh_, then her smile faded. "-but _**she**_ doesn't. Why are you telling **me** stuff you should be telling **her**?"

Lizzie sighed and looked at him straight in the eyes as if stating the obvious: _TELL HER!_ Then she stood up and turned to him before leaving.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"You can trust in me, I promise I won't tell anyone what we just talked...and about the jealous grunts you gave to Max." She chuckled. Derek was blushing a crimson shade but again the flour saved him.

"I was not jealous!"

Lizzie eyed him as she crossed her arms.

"Okay, okay! I was. Happy?"

"Very." Lizzie smiled as left him alone.

* * *

Marti had left the bathroom and Casey had gathered her things and jumped her way to take her shower. She locked the bathroom door and she heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" She called.

"Can I... talk to you?" Derek said from the other side of the door.

* * *

******Sorry for the delay but TA DA! And to make it up to you all, this is was long chapter :) **

******Did I deliver or did I not? haha.**

**FINALLY, Derek admitted it! mwahaha! xD ooh some swearing! sorry about that, I don't do swearing, but the situation called for it, and yeah it had to be Derek lol.**

**I know this is supposed to be a comedy, but the angsty comes once in a while. Every story has to have a problem to deal with, but I promise more comedy to come hehe :P ****Sooooo, after long hours of writing this, I really hope it brought joy to you as it did to me :)**

**Please REVIEW :D What do you think of Lizzie's talk with Derek? Was it ok, good, not bad, could've been better... Plz tell xD**

**********And WOW Thanks a lot for your reviews for last chapter! They really meant the world to me! **You guys made my day and made me reach almost 6000 words in this chapter! LOL I looove ya!

**~AmoreK**


	7. Love Potions

°.•¤¤•.°°.•¤¤•.°°.•¤¤•.°

**PART OF THIS CHAPTER IS A REFERENCE TO THE MOVIE "Dan in Real Life"**

**Disclaimer: No own Derie, nor**** the_ Dan in real life_ movie :B**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Love Potions  
**

"Can I talk to you?"

His husky voice echoed through her mind after passing through the wooden door. Painfully, she tiptoed awkwardly to the door, not sure if opening it would be a good idea.

Her heart hammered against her chest. Cold shivers ran through her spine as heat creeped up her cheeks reminding her how vulnerable her being could be, and like a strong slap on her face, of how strong she was not.

Thoughts of the previous encounter were tormenting her mind and her breath kept getting caught up in her throat. As if by own will, her hand reached the door knob, only to be pulled down quickly by the other one, and fall down by her sides.

"...Case, are you there?" The question came out of his lips even when he knew the obvious.

She thought of sneaking out from the window hidden behind the bathtub's curtain, but she had an injured ankle.

The thought of sneaking out was as random as Edwin's game of gas.

"Uh...yeah." She heard herself speak.

"Well, are you going to open up? Please Case..."

His voice creaked even when he was trying to be brave. His fingertips were pressed on the door as his forehead did the same. The foreign sensation of his heart beating loudly started to scare him as well as the heat that made its way to his chest and face.

_Ah, so this is how it feels like. _

_I'm actually doing this! I'm about to tell my snobby **step**-sister I **f-fff-feel** something for her... _He shuddered at the thought.

She hesitated.

The jerk wanted a talk, and despite herself, she found out she would let him. But the thought of letting him in the bathroom ,with nosey kids watching, made her nervous.

_What would they think?_

But they had spoken alone before...so why would they think that anything was going on?

"Casey!" He insisted. He wanted to burst out every word that had been hiding safely behind lies before he could back out like the chicken he felt was creeping up inside him.

"Ah...Just a second!"

Giving up, she jumped her way to the sink hoping to wash her face but slipped and fell over the mess of Marti's "potions" on the floor.

Her mouth shaped an **O** when she mutely yelled in pain.

Derek jumped at the loud thud. "Are you ok in there?"

"...Yeah!" She sat up only to hit her head with the sink. "Ow!"

"...you don't sound that good to me.." Derek put his ear next to the door.

"No...I'm fine! Just.. wait a second!"

Still rubbing her head, she finally supported herself on the sink and stood up to wash the leftover marks of flour on her face as quick as she could and dried it out with a towel. Now watching her step, and wincing slightly every time she felt pain in her ankle, she got next to the door and opened without hesitation. That is until she saw his face, then she repented completely.

He was still wearing his green pajamas. His hair still had some leftover flour on it, but he had washed his face. His eyes were dark with determination and one arm was behind his back. She peeked around making sure no one was watching, she grabbed his sleeve pulling him in with her, and shut the door behind them.

"Wow, Marti sure left a mess in here..."

"What do you want Derek?" She cut him off with an act of carelessness as she crossed her arms expectantly. She hoped she could hear his response, for all she could hear was her heart hammering.

He opened his mouth to speak but no words would cooperate with him and come out. His right arm was still behind him and a sweet smell surrounded them. Before she could throw him another question, his hidden arm came to view. She startled back and noticed he had a petite plate with two disfigured _attempts_ of pancakes, one on top of the other; on the center was a perfect melted square of butter, as honey syrup fell gracefully down over its sides.

"I...I wanted to...I thought I could...you know...I, well,"

This was beyond himself. He was not used to such mushiness, and stuttering was not a word that checked in his dictionary. He felt utterly stupid and uneasy. He had never in his life made an effort to even _pretend_ emotions for any girl to win her over, much less, feeling them truly.

He would breathe, blink, smirk, and every girl would be all over him. That was the famous Venturi charm everyone was aware of.

But he knew he had to do something for _this_ girl.

He learned the hard way that Casey was not any girl, and she would most certainly not fall over him with just those charms and pick up lines...unfortunately, he was the densest guy when it came to certain situations. Ignorance was his enemy at the moment...Casey was already lost in those charms and he didn't even know it.

He hated her for being so complicated. Yet that hate was something affable for him at the moment, he wondered when was it that he started to see her with a new light.

It was so absurd to think that just two years ago, he saw her just as his annoying step-sister but he always knew she was much, too pretty since the first day he layed eyes on her.

But her beauty was always out shined by her uptight and hateful attitude towards him. After those years, he guessed he had passed through those aspects and actually learned to live with them, even enjoy them especially when _he_ was the one that caused them.

He cleared his throat. After regaining himself, he said the last sentence smoothly and effortlessly.

"...I wanted to apologize about, earlier."

She blinked. Her ankle hurt, her butt hurt, her head hurt but for some reason her brain had decided to ignore them. Not only did he came to apologize but he made her pancakes ...or what you could call pancakes, the kitchen business was not his thing after all.

"..I don't know what to say." Her words touched his ears as he stepped closer and put the plate on the sink. Taking a deep breath and trying to ignore the loud beating of his heart, shyly he reached out for her hands and held them nervously. Her eyes went wide. She was stupefied.

Her skin tingled at his touch as his thumbs drew circles on her hands affectingly. He was surprised, himself.

"I know that... you probably hate me for everything that I've done ever since we met...and I don't blame you for it," Her eyes made their way from their hands to his eyes.

She forgot how to breathe, and blinked after what seemed an eternity as a warm knot made its way on her stomach. Reluctantly, her eyes stayed glued at his amber ones.

"First of all, despite the fact of what you think of me, I really, _really_... want you to know that I don't hate-" He tried to step even closer when his foot slipped with the shampoo on the floor, and stumbled back. He tried to hold on Casey as his feet desperately searched for _un-potioned_ ground only making her cling to him and dance the same awkward dance.

"Ow, ow, ow"

She complained for the pain her ankle was emitting from the whole _gavotte_. With a goofy smile that disappeared almost instantly, Derek finally stood firm with Casey still clinging to him.

She blushed a crimson shade when she paired her eyes on his. She desperately tried to get off his arms but his arms stayed firm on her waist hindering her movements and bringing her back against him.

He had determined himself. Bubbles and sticky hair products of Marti's potions would not stop him.

"D-Derek what are you..."

He put his finger on her lips to silence her.

"I...I just wanted to tell you...that, I..."

His hand reached the back of her head and without hesitation, he showed her what were his intentions. He felt her whole body shiver and for the first time after what seemed decades, he faded a soft smirk as he reached up to her lips

when really loud knocks on the door were heard.

Their foreheads clashed and they both groaned in pain. After what seemed eternity she found her voice.

"Wh-Who is it?" Her voice came out weak and creaky. Her hand kept rubbing her forehead momentarily forgetting the fact that she was still in Derek's grasp.

" Is me, Marti, can I come in?" She said from the other side of the door.

Derek rolled his eyes. His luck was shining that day, he was seconds away from showing Casey what he felt and ...Marti shows herself with the greatest timing.

Casey's eyes popped wide open. Then Derek came back from Jupiter and his eyes repeated her actions. He quickly let go of her and blushed slightly as he backed away from her.

"...Yeah, hold on a sec..." Casey silently cursed her luck and stood up and tried to make her way to the door but, before her hand reached the knob, the thought slapped her coldly, making her blush madly.

_I'm in a **locked** bathroom, supposedly ready to take a shower...and **Derek is inside**..._

If Marti saw that...a great questionnaire was bound to happen...which would lately get to Lizzie's ears...then to Edwin's...then to her step-dad ...and then finally to her mother's.

Marti sure was young, but despite being underestimated, she knew too much. The eight-year-old was very smart and perspicacious. She surely knew that if people were taking a shower, unless they were little kids, _no one else_ is supposed to be there. Let it alone, a guy and a girl.

Casey did the first thing that popped into her head.

Clueless of the risk of the situation, Derek submerged his index finger in the honey syrup on the pancakes to have a taste, when she grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him roughly towards the bathtub.

His legs tripped with the tub's edge and fell inside with a thud, hitting his head with the wall behind him. He ignored his pride and groaned loudly in pain.

"What was that?" Marti exclaimed from the other side of the door.

"Nothing!...I, I hit my ankle again!" Casey tried to howl like Derek but her voice would never be as rough. Marti was beyond puzzled.

Derek rolled his eyes as he rubbed his back and the back of his head in pain.

Casey gave him an apologetic look as she closed the curtain to hide him as one hand rubbed the back of his head and he sucked on the honey syrup that was still on his finger.

"Is.. somebody _else_... inside?" Marti asked.

"NO!, no, no, no, no. What ma-made you think that! You silly! HAAhahahahaha" Casey was as good liar as she was in Sports.

"o-k.."

She then jumped her way to the bathroom door and opened it, but as soon as she did, Marti fell inside for having put her ear against the door.

"Hehe, hello.." Marti said with a big smile.

"er...hello..." Casey responded with a nervous smile that showed nothing but a guilty face.

Marti stood up and Casey closed the door behind them.

* * *

**WOAH! WHUT? I UPDATED! :D Yeah..I'M SORRY my update has been SO suckish! Life is full of surprises, mine is LOADED with them..like my computer's sudden destruction because my silly little brother was playing online and accidentally downloaded a VIRUS that killed my precious computer! GRRRRRRRR guess the moral of the story is, NEVER PLAY GAMES ONLINE, THEY'RE EVILLL!..ahem, yeah. Another surprise is that I traveled out of the U.S. for summer vacation and started writing this all the way from the beautiful place of Monterrey city in MEXICO! :D Si! lol. **

**BUT, THANKS A LOT to all of you for still reading a veeeery busy author's story :P**

**Now about the story, I know Casey keeps "jumping over stuff" because of her ankle, I understand it would be very painful if being realistic and she would need medical attention and stuff, BUT in my story she is SuperGirl and anything can happen! mwahaha...lol.**

**Since my computer died by evil online flames, I am now writing these chapters on my sister's laptop, which sucks because I can't always use it..BUT is better than nothing and greatly appreciated, I love my sister tons! **

**I would like to specially thank wprincessannw, dafuturesingingsensation, princetongirl, and Wepluvzyou for being some of my most frequent reviewers! I love you guys! your reviews make me happy and encourage me tons!**

**Here! have a cookie, an update, and a great HUG! :))**

**Let me know what you think of this chapter or the story so far!**

**~AmoreK**


	8. Keep Quiet!

**THIS CHAPTER IS A REFERENCE TO THE "_Dan in Real Life" MOVIE_ :)**

**(Annoying) Disclaimer: I don't own _Derek_, and I don't own _Dan in real life_ meheh. ^^**

* * *

**Chapter 8: **

**Keep Quiet!**

"Hehe, hello.." Marti said with a big smile.

"er...hello..." Casey responded with a nervous smile that showed nothing but a guilty face.

Marti stood up and Casey closed the door behind them.

"Sooo..." Casey started anxiously clasping her hands. Marti jumped over her mess of potions happily and sat down on the closed toilet.

"Well, I have something to ask you but I know you wanted to take a shower since, like, an hour ago..so why don't you start the water up?"

"Err...well, is just that I...er...sure, why not." Casey nervously slipped a hand through the curtain to open the water faucet. Derek's eyes went wide as he saw her hand reach in and he tried to slap Casey's hand away from the faucet but she opened it before he could do it and he desperately tried to look for a space in the tub where he wouldn't get wet, but soon enough, a cold shower fell over him, washing the flour on his head and making him silently curse and glare through the curtain.

Casey laughed nervously as she waited for Marti to say whatever she wanted to ask. "Sooo...Marti, what did you want to ask me?

"Well..." Marti fidgeted. "..is about a love issue."

Casey's eyes went wide. Derek startled from Marti's words and accidentally hit the shampoo bottle making it fall, startling Casey and scaring Marti. "What was that?" Marti asked alarmed. Casey subtly poked her head through the curtain and mouthed _"keep quiet"_ to Derek, he just rolled his eyes although he was as nervous as she was.

"Um, the shampoo fell, that's all." Casey tried to remain calm on the outside despite her inside jittering.

"...O-K."

Marti then pointed to the vapor of the now hot water behind the closed bathtub. "That was fast...water's ready." Marti said.

"HUH?" Casey turned alarmed.

"The shower, you can take it while I tell you." Marti said clueless. Derek's eyes went wide with fear.

"I-I...I can wait...heh heh heh."

"And waste all that water? You know Lizzie would be super mad at you for that!"

"...right."

Casey reluctantly took off her pajamas. "...turn around please." Instead of taking off the remains of her clothes like Marti thought she was doing, Casey kept her bra and underwear in place.

Casey made a quick mental list of everything that was running through her mind:

_1. Holy Crap._

_2. Marti is evil._

_3. Would Derek be grossed out if he saw me in my undies?_

_4. Wait ...why the heck am I wearing undies with monkeys on them!_

_5. AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!_

A madly blushed Casey got inside the tub while Marti wasn't looking and Derek stumbled back loudly and almost fell when his eyes landed on her.

"You okay?" Marti asked.

"Y-YES!" Casey answered loudly, crossing one arm to hide her bra and another to cover her abdomen from Derek's wide eyes. Her heart hammered against her chest and a warm knot made its way to her stomach.

_Oooh Kill me. Kill me. PLEASE! _Casey kept thinking, dying of embarrasment.

The only will he had left allowed him to turn around and give his back to her. Looking down at his feet, putting both hands behind his neck, he silently wished the water wasn't that warm. Casey was beyond embarrassed but she couldn't help being a bit amused at the sight of Derek, soaking wet on his jamies. She then noticed the muscles on his back tighten as the water stuck his shirt on him.

"Ok so as I was saying, about a love issue..."

"Yeah..."Casey mumbled, still dazed and lost on Derek's back.

"Well, the thing is..."

Being the only one who heard Marti's words, Derek wanted to look back, but afraid of any possibilities, he blindfolded himself with the shower rag and turned towards Casey, but after five seconds or so, his eyes started to sting from the soap in the rag. He silently yelped and fought to take it off and tried to wash his eyes thoroughly. Casey fought to keep from laughing out loud forgetting a bit of her embarrassment. To be honest, Casey had thought of this moment quite differently in her dreams. Though the situation and the place were different, in her dreams, **he** would show her how much he loved her back and longed for her affection, her embrace, and her heart. He would steal a kiss from her, and she would surprise him by kissing him back with all her might, combining their passion for one another-

"..are those pancakes?"Marti interrupted her thoughts.

Casey woke up from her daydream and Derek turned back at her with red, stingy eyes, trying to cautiously look, just, at her eyes.

"Ah..yeah, you see...remember how Derek and I fought over breakfast? Well..." She kept thinking of a lie.

"You see...I didn't get anything to eat, so I...er..made some...to... eat them..after my shower.." Derek surprisingly gave Casey a thumbs up, allowing his eyes to briefly shift from her gaze before she slapped his arm, hiding a smile.

"But, these pancakes are ugly! The ones you make are always pretty, Casey."

"Ah..err..well.." Casey blanked. After her long pause, Derek shook her shoulders to wake her up and she put his arms away from her, then realized her arms had left her front, exposing her pink-laced bra to her stepbrother. She blushed a crimson hue and turned him on his back as he softly smirked involuntarily, shivering at her touch. Her hands remained on his shoulders.

"..I had stuff on my mind, I guess... I didn't have time to make them pretty this time, Marty."

"Some stuff you must've thought to make these..."

"What?"

"Heh heh nothing...Well about the love issue, you see..there is this boy who likes this girl,"

Derek tensed abruptly and Casey's hands jumped off his shoulders as if they had been set on fire.

"and this girl likes him back,"

Casey backed away from Derek and he looked up to the wall in front of him.

"but they don't get along, and are both quite stupid and prideful so they won't tell how much they like each other.." Casey stared hard at the back of his head, making him shiver even though the water was warm.

"and she has been trying to make him see she likes him, but apparently he is too stupid to notice." Still with his back to her, Derek looked back at Casey from the corner of his eye.

"Oh... yeah?" Casey said uncertain, refusing to look at Derek and instead, gave longing looks to the stained glass window next to her, wishing she could open it and fly away from it all.

"Yes, and so..." Marti continued, followed by Casey's "uhu"s, "right"s, and "I see"s.

Casey stared into the window for a while until a thought striked her.

_The window!_

She had found the solution to her current situation. Completely forgetting her self-consciousness, she got closer to Derek and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to whisper into his ear her new discovery, "Hey, Derek..." but his mind was so far away from her logic that her touch startled him once again. Her breath in his ear made him shut his eyes with great force and made him more tense than he already was, followed by a shiver that ran up his spine. "...Y-yes?" His voice came out creaky and weak.

"I've got an idea!I know how we can save our butts!"

"...w-what is it?" He breathed.

"The window!" She whispered enthusiastically.

Derek quickly shifted to look to the window, taking his chance to move away from her hands. It was a ridiculously dangerous idea, yet it seemed like their only exit at the moment...

* * *

It seemed like a long Saturday for Emily. She was incredibly bored as she sat on her front porch. She had already finished her homework and done her chores like her parents asked her to do, not like she would admit it to anyone. However, here she was looking at the road and smelling the sweet fresh air of her neighborhood, while drinking a juice. Yay.

She felt the lame realization of how her social agenda was reducing lately.

Her boredom reached a new level and she decided to call her best friend, suddenly mentally slapping herself for not thinking about it earlier. She now remembered her parents were out of town for the whole weekend. Which meant, _PARTAAAY_!

She reached for her cellphone and dialed the number, waiting for someone to answer it while she looked at her next-door house.

"Venturi-McDonald Residence." Edwin chirped. "Hey Edwin, this is Em. Is Casey there?"

"Yep, hold on."

Emily waited on the line while inspecting her new polished nails.

After a while, she heard some ruffled noises before someone answered."Sorry, Em. Casey is taking a shower right now. Do you mind calling her later?"

"Sure. Thanks."

Great. Now she had to wait a bit more for her boredom to subside. But hey, at least spending time with her best friend would make her day.

She smiled as she thought of plans to do with her best friend when all of a sudden she heard some noises. She frowned in confusion as she waited to hear more. She heard some metal creak and then someone yelp, close to her house. She slowly stood up from her chair and went to the end of her porch towards Casey's house, where the noise was coming. Emily then heard someone gasp and then some tree branches move. Her eyes followed the noise and went wide when they caught someone's leg coming out of her friend's small stained glass window on the second floor, which she presumed was the bathroom's.

_"Sorry, Em. Casey is taking a shower right now…"_

Emily gasped in realization.

_Oh my God…Casey?_

The person tried to get both legs out and supported their feet on the roof underneath the window, moving the branches out of the way.

Emily gasped silently as she saw the person achieve getting their whole body out of the window and clumsily grasp for dear life unto the outside edges of it.

Emily then realized it was a _guy,_ but his face was turned from her, as he seemed to grip on the window like a scared little boy.

_What is going on? A thief? A pervert?_

Breathing hard, he let go of the window and tried to walk on the roof that was outside the window to get a hold of the tree next to it but he seemed to slip on each step, and she then noticed he was soaking wet.

Instead of calling somebody, Emily felt brave enough, and feeling the duty to protect her best friend, she ran back to her house and up to her dad's room, where he kept a bat. She took it and ran back outside, just in time to see the guy holding unto the tall tree and trying to slide down from it.

_Oh no, baby. You won't get off so easy._

Holding her cellphone in her pocket, just in case, and gripping her bat she walked up closer to the tree but still kept her distance. Water dripped down from his clothes, and he still had a long way down to go.

She let the bat down for a moment, and she took some rocks from the ground.

She threw a rock at him that missed his shoulder and hit the tree, startling him.

"W-what the heck?"

"**Heeeey!** Get down from there, you pig! What do you think you were doing up there? Pervert!"

She threw more rocks until one finally hit his back, loosening slightly his grip to the tree.

"Ow!"

Emily recognized his voice, his wet and messy hair, and finally saw his familiar face.

"Oh my God...…**DEREK?**"

"**Woah**, **woooooaaaaa!**"

Startled at his name being called, Derek lost hold of the tree and fell down, not before being scratched by some branches on the way.

* * *

**Mwahahahaha, what will happen next? xD**

**Thanks SO MUCH for the reviews, and enjoy! :D**

**And Guess whut?whut? I turned 18 this past Dec.17th! YAAAAAAYY...dang I'm old. lol.**

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS!AND MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D **

**Some answers to awesome reviewers:**

**SusanMarieS:** Don't worry, you are right in the grammatical errors, but mainly because English is not my first language :P But yes I still appreciate your comment, it helps me improve. I will try to fix those! :)

**wprincessannw:**You're welcome! ^^ hehehe yes, something's out there! xD

**stakemenow:** Thanks a lot for your thoughts! And yes I kind of thought of doing it differently and a bit more realistic to counter all those fics, it makes me try to work harder ;)

**bribri4895:**Thanks a bunch! :D

**Leaf26:**Thanks a lot, I will try my best :)

**Dimples08:**Thanks a lot :D haha I know right? well, we'll see what happens ;)

**Twilightlover20896:** HERE IS YOUR UPDATE, LIKE, YEAH! XD

**dafuturesingingsensation:** About Chapter 6, You're right, she didn't speak much LOL xDD But it still helped a bit, I guess? hehehe ;P

**LOL Thanks a lot for the people who give me a piece of their minds, good or bad, I appreciate you guys taking your time to write it. Readers are super but not as awesome as Reviewers ^^**

**please click on the green button below and give me a piece of your mind! :D Review Review!**

**~AmoreK**


	9. Wait a minute

**Disclaimer** (don't you hate them?): I don't own LWD blah blah blah, only this story and its unrealistic, silly plot ;)

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Wait a minute**

"Oh my God, **Derek**!"

Emily dropped the remaining rocks in her hands and ran to where Derek had landed. Fortunately for Derek, he landed first on a bush which digressed slightly, the latter, painful landing on the floor, sparing a serious concussion but not minor injuries.

"...a-aaaahhh" Derek moaned almost inaudible and couldn't even move at first. Any effort felt like a thousand needles on his body. He could feel the dirt turning to mud with the water, sticking to his back and clothes, and the stinging of several cuts the branches had kindly provided to him.

He breathed slowly. He could see the sky above him and tall trees shadowing him; he blinked several times as he tried to digest the situation. Emily kneeled next to him and hesitated to even touch him.

"Oh Jesus! Derek are you alright? God, what a stupid question. I'm so, so sorry! I thought that you...oh, what do I do? You're bleeding!" Emily pointed alarmed to his arms and face.

"E-Emily?...Is...ok...I'll live...they're just scratches" Avoiding to keep hurting his ego, Derek took a painful breath before he tried to move, and flinched with pain as he slowly sat up, Emily trying to help him.

"Jesus! Derek Venturi, **what** in the world where you doing up there? And why are you soaking wet?"

"I..uh..got... locked in my bathroom again..and tried t-to get out through the window..."

Emily looked skeptical until her eyes flickered towards the steamed glass window.

"You haven't said why you're soaking wet yet.."

Derek was quick to that.

"I was about to take a shower. I couldn't get out without clothes, could I? I let the water running by mistake and I couldn't close the faucet in time..."

_"Sorry Em, **Casey** is taking a shower..." _Emily remembered.

"Wait a second..."

"What?" Derek asked annoyed from the fall and the interview, rubbing the back of his neck to soothe the pain.

Emily's eyes started to widen in confusion and unbelief as and realization downed on her.

"I...c-called some minutes ago to talk to Casey...a-and I was told, **sh-she** was taking a sh-shower..."

Derek couldn't hide the fear in his eyes as they went wide and his face was the epitome of guilt. This wasn't unnoticed by Emily.

"Er...she was using the other bathroom."

"Derek...your house has only one bathroom..."

"...agh" Derek quickly looked away and Emily noticed with amazement how his cheeks had reached a warmer color. Derek's mind went blank of excuses as the only image in his head lead him back to where he had last seen Casey. He rubbed his neck harder as he looked at his dirty clothes.

As crazy and silly as it sounded, a clearer realization hit Emily as she slowly stood up. "Umm...Derek," She began.

"w-why were you a-and Casey in the sh-shower..?" Emily couldn't believe herself as she asked.

"What?" Derek comitted the greatest mistake by allowing panic and guilt to show on his face.

"Derek...if you did something to her, I swear to God-"

"Woah, woah wait a m-minute!" Trying to ignore the pain, he slowly stood up.

"We did NOT do...whatever- you're thinking- we were doing!"

He didn't like that the fact actually disappointed him.

"So..you **_were_** in the bathroom... together..?"

"Yes!-Ah!-No! Dammit, is **not** what you think!" Derek was blushing and blurting out helplessly, so unlike him.

_What the heck is wrong with me?...Aaaaargh, Casey, I BLAME YOU! _He fumed in anger as he looked back at the stained glassed window.

"O-_kaayy_...I need to sit down again.." Emily said, lightheaded. Derek sighed and ran a hand through his wet hair.

"...Derek, what's going on?"

He tried to think of a convincing lie but he was completely blank. After several minutes of silence he threw his hands on the air in anger but the movement hurt him and he winced in pain, holding his left side.

"ahhgh...ok I'll tell you what's going on but _only_ because apparently I _can't_ seem to lie anymore!"

Emily looked up at him, surprised at his rage and his line of muttered profanities.

"But, **YOU! You** have to swear on your life that you'll keep it a secret. Even from Casey. No. ESPECIALLY from CASEY. Understood?"

Emily's eyes went wide. "B-but she's my best fri-"

"Understood?"

"Y-yes sir!"

Derek looked around him and noticed all the neighboring houses seemed too close, and knowing that there would be nosey kids at home he silently and slowly walked to Emily's house instead and she followed suit. He ignored the trail of water he left and she tried to do the same as they went inside and she closed the door behind them, unaware that someone had seen them from an upstairs window.

* * *

**I'm serious when I say that soooo many things are going on that keep me from updating lately, that it IS a miracle I'm able to update this week at all. BTW sorry for the short chapter but the next chapter is already half way to be finished so I thought it would be good to give some intro to it and not leave you hanging as I have so shamefully done, sorry!**

**_PLEASE_ Review! anything from_ "omg i love it"_ to "_psh_ _it_ _sucked"_ and their reason_ why_, is greatly appreciated because it shows me if people really want to keep on reading this story AND most of all, IT HELPS ME IMPROVE! Thank you to all my frequent readers and reviewers that haven't given up on me *hugs***

**next chappie is coming up :)**

**btw have you people seen the life with derek movie trailer? it's cool, check it out :D I'm excited hehe**

**love you all!**

**~amoreK**


	10. Mixed Feelings

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Mixed feelings**

Uh...Edwin? I look funny..." Casey said to Lizzie as she looked at herself in the mirror.

"If you rather have Derek carry you around, you can always give it back..."  
"No! No, no, no," Casey saw Edwin's puzzled look and laughed nervously.  
"I mean, w-why bother him? Thanks. Edwin. I can wear it, really.."

Casey looked away as she blushed at the memory; Edwin just rolled his eyes.  
"All I'm saying is that if you wanna walk around without whining in pain then you better wear it, Casey."  
"Hey, I don't whine." Casey glared at him jokingly.  
"Sure, sure" Edwin smiled as she left her.

Since Lizzie couldn't find Casey's old ankle brace, Edwin lend her his low cam walker boot so that Casey would heal and be able to walk with it.

**(A/N: In case you don't know what those are, look them up in google to see what they look like :)**

Casey sighed as she sat on her bed. She had finished eating Derek's disfigured pancakes and couldn't stop thinking of what had just happened in the bathroom, and worrying over him.

Her gaze looked down shyly and her cheeks became a crimson shade as she recalled the last events with Derek.

_She had found the solution to her current situation. Completely forgetting her self-consciousness, she got closer to Derek and placed her hands on his shoulders, trying to whisper into his ear her new discovery, "Hey, Derek..." but his mind was so far away from her logic that her touch startled him once again. Her breath in his ear made him shut his eyes with great force and made him more tense than he already was, followed by a shiver that ran up his spine. _

_"...Y-yes?" His voice came out creaky and weak._  
_"I've got an idea!I know how we can save our butts!"_  
_"...w-what is it?" He breathed._  
_"The window!" She whispered enthusiastically._  
_Derek quickly shifted to look to the window, taking his chance to move away from her hands. It was a ridiculously dangerous idea, yet it seemed like their only exit at the moment..._

_"...I don't care if people think I'm young and I don't know about these things but, I think that if they don't say anything, how are they going to know they like each other? Duuuhh" _

_They heard Marti said from the other side of the curtains. Her words kept echoing on Derek's mind as he meticulously observed Casey, who was oblivious of his gaze, trying to open the window as it slightly creaked._  
_Casey then looked back at Derek and nodded, signaling his exit. Derek moved towards her where the window was situated and before he made any attempts to to get out he pulled her closer to him, startling her. He leaned into her ear and whispered, "This conversation isn't over..." before he let go of her and made his way out._

_Casey had forgotten how to breathe and what world she was in. She got lost into just staring as he went out the window, and he closed the window behind him, not before glancing back at her briefly. Her hand went up to her left ear where she could still feel his warm breath when he had whispered those last words. Her heart felt like a hummingbird's wings around spring flowers. An small, involuntary, and nervous smile started to appear on her face._

_"...don't you agree with me, Casey?" Marti said, startling her again._  
_"W-wait, what was that?" Casey finally turned her attention to her little step-sister. Marti sighed._  
_"I said, don't you agree with me that they must say something to each other?"_  
_"Er...who exactly are we talking about here, Marti?"_  
_"Oh?...er... I...uh, was talking about ...my favorite TV show! er... The main couple's stupid attitudes drive me crazy." _

_Marti gave herself a mental pat. I'm so cool! __She mused to herself. __Casey rolled her eyes, here she was worrying that Marti might know something when she was just blabbing about some kids show._

"Oh, right."  
_"So you agree with me?"_  
_"Ah...yeah? I mean, sometimes it's complica-"_

_...Wait, am I really trying to reason with an eight-year-old about relationships here? Casey thought better of it._

_"-aahh... Yes, they must say something...I guess."_  
_"Okay, cool. That's all Casey. I need to check on Daphne now, she's been playing with my toys way too much." _

_And just like that, Marti waltzed over her mess of potions and left Casey alone._  
_Casey exhaled heavily. Finally! She thought._

_Casey then immediately peeked out the window to see if Derek had made it down alive, but what she saw was Derek and a familiar girl talking._  
_Emily?_  
_Then Casey noticed how Derek winced as he walked towards Emily's house and she helped him inside, everyone oblivious that Emily's cellphone had been dropped at the foot of the tree._

_-xoxo-_

After regaining her senses and go back to her present, she grabbed her phone.

_Why is Derek in her house?_  
_Why is he taking so long?_  
Casey kept thinking.  
She had tried calling Emily's cellphone several times, thinking of subtle excuses as to why, but the tones kept going until the voice mail answered.

After several tries and no success, she started to lose her patience.

"Aaaagh! Why isn't she picking up?" She shifted a bit and threw the phone on her bed, making her wince a bit when her ankle emitted slight pain but she was glad it hurt way less than before; perhaps this time she would heal faster with the boot.  
Having the time to think, she was haunted with the memory that her best friend had always liked Derek.

_What are they doing?_ She gasped in realization.

_What if she finally told him she likes him? And now they're all smoochy and-_

Casey desperately tried calling her friend again but stopped midway before she dialed.

_But she is my best friend! I know she would never do that to me...wait... but she doesn't even know how I feel about him! I've never even told her!_

She started to bang her head on her pillow.  
Right when she felt she was going insane, she heard the door open and close downstairs. She quickly got up and surprised and happy at how much less it hurt to walk with the boot, she carefully made her way around where she saw Derek, already halfway up the stairs but stepping slowly, his hand on his back and wincing once or twice every step. Her heart started hammering again, but she tried to ignore it.

"...**De-rek** what were-"

As Derek reached the top of the stairs, Casey then noticed his clothes were brown from the dirt but he was dry enough.

Crimson marks were layered on his arms and a small cut below his right eye -on his cheek- made Casey wince in shock.  
"Oh my God Derek! What happened to you?"

Derek kept walking absent-minded to the bathroom,she followed as habit. Inside, he went to the mirror above the white sink and checked his face, trying not to see her reflection behind him.

Having to tell Emily about his feelings made it even more real and more unbearable for him, specially because of her reaction. Something that bothered him to no end, not to mention what it caused within him. It made him think, too much. He needed some time alone to digest it all.

He stared at the mirror, not really paying attention as Casey walked to stand behind him. Looking at his cuts, she ignored her ankle and reached out to him involuntarily, her worry blurring everything else. He finally woke from his gaze as she turned him around and grabbed his arm and he observed her as she examined his scars with worry. Her eyes finally made its way to his face and she ran her fingers slowly and carefully over the scar on his cheek, his amber eyes watching her as she started down at his wounds. He couldn't help but flinch at the slight sting at the cut, breaking her attention and finally waking her up. Derek cleared his throat and stepped out of Casey's range as he hid a slight blush starting to creep up on his face by turning around.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I gotta take a shower, I look like a pigsty."

"But...O-ok." She relented after looking at him again and finally taking in his appearance. If her attention hadn't been only on his wounds the first time she could've seen that part of his hair was sticking up to an end and his pajamas had moved from green to brown. Dry mud was adorning the back of his neck and arms, a bit on his face. Some leaves were sticking to him still. She tried to look serious but her lips started twitching, and so she cleared her throat and turned around to make her leave.

Casey reluctantly walked out of the bathroom, not before she tripped with Marti's potions causing Derek to suppress a laugh himself. She turned around and Derek followed and stopped at the door, ready to close it but they kept on looking at each other, the amusement immediately gone. An awkward air surrounded them once again.

"Is your ankle..."  
"Yeah, I'm better."  
"Oh, good."  
"You?"  
"Been worse."  
"Ok.." Derek, refusing to look at her, awkwardly pointed to the bathroom and Casey just nodded and left as he closed the door. He leaned on it and closed his eyes as he let himself slid down to the floor.

_What am I doing?_ He mentally slapped himself, to later groan as he heard his stomach grumble, oh yeah he still hadn't eaten..._stupid flour fight. _Nonetheless he smiled sadly as he got lost in the memory, how he had almost kissed her in the kitchen and how she had trembled as he cupped her face...to later ruin it by being a coward, turn back into Jerk-mode, and leave.

_Venturi you're such an idiot!_ He fumed as he got in the shower.

_O-k that went well...Casey you're so lame..._ She rolled her eyes as she walked to her room again, when a ringing stopped her.

She waited again as she followed the noise to Derek's bedroom.

She stopped at his bed where she saw his cellphone ringing.

_Should I pick it up since he's taking a shower?_

_ ...Nope. _

She looked away, crossed her arms, and shook her head with determination, as if she was on a diet and she was refusing a bag of potato chips.

She then looked down as the phone both rang and vibrated desperately.

_Maybe is one of his friends? ...Or one of those stupid, blonde bimbos. Do I care? _

_...Nope. I don't. _

_I don't care. _

_Nu-uh._

_I don't care if they call him all the time just to bust his ego even more, to flirt with him and-_

It kept ringing.

_ Ugh!_

The phone kept ringing and curiosity finally took the best of her and looking around her to make sure she was alone, she picked the call without looking at the caller ID.

"H-hello?"

"Er...Casey?"

* * *

**Lame cliffie, I know haha xD**

**Whew! So there's some twists here and there but they'll lead to what I'm planning mwahaha, worry not ;P**

**By the way, Derek and Emily's conversation will be revealed soon ;)**

**Please, click on the green button below and leave me a piece of your mind! come on, you know you want to ;) hehe**

**I apologize for the Delayed update! but here it is! I don't like it much but Writer's block is the worst, believe me :B but I promise this chapter is a build up :)**

**I want to thank you so much for your reviews! Even though I've been busy like crazy, is so awesome to check around and receive your wonderful comments, making me see that you still want to read my story, THANK YOU! :D I love you guys!**

**Please let me know your thoughts in this! read & review! :D**

_A reply for _**Dark-Supernatural-Angel****:**  
for your last review :) Emily sitting down is just a fun irony as well, she felt light-headed when she kinda figured out the craziness of what was going on, when Derek was the one who needed to sit down instead ;) And well, nothing would be interesting if he just waited in the washroom lol, because since Marti kinda knew he was there, she wouldn't leave until her "talk' was done. So sometimes, comedy needs to be added in a story even if it seems dangerous because since he is the main character, he won't die haha. AND YES, More chapters coming soon :) Thanks for reading and REVIEWING! :D

**All my love to my amazing and much loved readers and reviewers :)**

**~AmoreK**


	11. Author's Note!

I'M ALIIIVEEEE! lol **SORRY FOR THE LOo0o0o0o0o0ooONG ABSENCE! D:**

I apologize, **This being my senior year and graduation around the corner, **

**most of my writing was taken for ap classes, essays, and college applications :/ **

**BUT i haven't forgotten my readers and I promise that once I have enough time to spare, (I graduate in 2 weeks:)**

**my writing will continue!**

**So do not worry my awesome readers, your update will come to you :)**

_Hate Loving You_** won't stay on hiatus!**

**again, sorry!**

**and thanks a lot to the faithful readers and reviewers that keep on supporting this story! :D**


	12. Kiss the Cook

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD or anything related :P Only this story is mine and mine alone :)**

* * *

**Chapter 11: **

**Kiss the cook**

"H-hello?"

"Um...Casey?"

"Uh...yeah?"

Casey sat on Derek's bed as she listened.

"Is Derek around?"

"Er...well he's taking a shower so...Sam?"

"Yeah it's me. How are ya?"

She felt relieved for some reason. Hearing his casual voice made her smile.

"Um, good? and you?"

"Pretty cool, I must say. Sorry about the TV, I heard about it."

Ha. Leave it to Derek to mention the TV but not her injury.

"Yeah, well it sucks that some people can't seem to keep their stupidity inside their heads."

"Ha ha, so it _was_ Derek's fault after all?"

"Isn't everything?" She joked.

"Hahaha . Well tell him I know a place where he can find the TV replacement in a very cheap price."

"Woah, nice! Tell me where is it, please"

"Well, for the price he told me, the store I know...is not such a pretty or safe place.."

"...well is fine, at this rate we can't afford to be too demanding."

"Ok...well is about an hour and a half from here"

"Woah, that far? ...Ok. Let me get a pen,"

After he gave her the address she was still curious.

"Wait so why would it be a not-so-safe- place?"

"Well…er..this place is..a store yes..during the day, that is. But is also a huge underground gambling spot during the night. Sometimes they give some electronics as prices to those who win against the house. But I know -I mean- I've heard about these people...Casey tell me you won't go there."

"How.. do you know so much about this place, Sam?"

"…ah..well."

"You've been there before, haven't you?"

"Haha, well. Ok, yes I have. But only once and with my cousin. He lives in that town and we went there once to buy stuff from that store."

"Well I can't let Derek go there by himself."

"Oh no, Casey. You cannot go there, tell me you won't."

"He can't go there alone, Sam."

"Casey, he's a dude. He'll be fine."

"But-"

"Casey, please. Is not safe for you there."

Casey didn't like the idea anyway. The thought of going to a gambling house was completely ridiculous and dangerous. Especially if Derek went by himself. But that was it, she couldn't think of letting Derek get into the wolf's den by himself, especially because she knew he had a thing for gambling. Who knows if he ever came back. She ignored Sam's warning and avoided a promise.

"..I'll give him your message."

"Thanks. I would go with him but I gotta work today."

"Ok, don't worry. Talk to you later, Sam."

"Ok, see ya."

She heard the line go dead on the other end and sighed. She looked back at the note where she wrote the address but, before she could stand up, Derek walked in with only a towel around his waist and closed the door. She immediately stood up frozen.  
Derek noticed her and jumped back startled.

"Ah! Dammit, Casey! Don't scare me like that!"

"S-s-sorry..."

"Er...what are you doing in my room?"

"I...I..."

Her answer should have been a simple one but heck she was too distracted looking at his bare chest and abs...yep, his abs...she noticed with meticulous attention, ignoring for a moment the fact that he was covered in slight bruises and scratches.

"Casey?"

Her eyes went back up to his eyes as she was brought back to reality. Derek couldn't help but have a satisfying smirk on his face. He couldn't help himself...

"Like what you see?"

"Huh? Ew! You're so full of yourself Derek."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure you were checking me out..."

_Ugh._ He just _had to _take it a notch higher... Her face went beet red.

"Ugh, I was looking at your bruises, idiot. They look bad."

"Uhu, right."

"Gahh. Anyway, I was going to my room but your phone rang and I picked it up, since you were in the shower."

This completely took him out of joke character.

"Really? Who was it? Dude, if it was Kendra..."

"..huh?"

She snapped out cold. Oh right, she had completely forgotten about Derek's dear ole' girlfriend. She felt her heart sink to her feet as she now stared at the floor. He misunderstood her reaction.

"It was Kendra? Man, I can't believe she..."

"Why do you like her so much?" She blurted out without thinking. He was completely taken aback, he could've sworn he saw disappointment on her face, but before he could answer she cut him off with sudden coldness and nonchalantly.

"On second thought, is none of my concern; I don't care what you do or not, so."

For a moment Derek felt a pang in his chest, but as he observed her, he noticed her nervous attempt at deceit. The Master of Lies could not be easily fooled...  
She was better at it that he almost believed her, but before he could point it out to her, again, she spoke first.

"It was Sam, by the way,"

"-Oh! What did he say?" This completely sidetracked him.

"He gave me the address of the place where we can find the TV..."

Derek looked up to the heavens.  
"Yes! Thank you sooo much!"

Casey couldn't help but chuckle, forgetting for a moment that all he had on was a towel.  
For a second he lost his awareness and walked closer.

"Dude, so where is it?" Casey came back to her senses.

"I-I think you should change first..." She stood still and stared at his posters as if she had never seen them before. He experienced the still unfamiliar territory of the crimson cheeks, which he quickly overcame by hiding it with a big smirk.

"Why? Does it bother you, Spacey?" If he wanted to rile her up...yep, it worked.

"Ugh! You're impossible!" She said as she walked, more like limped, out of his room and slammed the door shut. As soon as she left, his smirk disappeared and his eyes went wide. He let out the air he didn't know he was holding as his hand scratched the back of his neck.

_What the heck's wrong with you Venturi? _He asked himself.  
Casey slammed her own door shut and leaned on it, trying to calm down as she felt her heart racing. Finally, a weak smile came to her face.

* * *

As Lizzie, Edwin, and Marti "played monopoly" upstairs, or more like, gather data and try to come up with another one of their sneaky plans, Derek went to the kitchen where Casey was eating a sandwich at the island counter.

"So, tell me the address of the place."

Derek said as he entered the kitchen, now wearing a decent outfit. She loved the fact that she could move around with the boot but deep inside she couldn't help being disappointed that she could no longer demand Derek's arms as a mean of transport; Derek reluctantly did as well.

He sat in front of her on the island counter.

"Well I wrote it down in my notebook, is on my bed though. Care to bring it?"

"Why did you leave it up there?"

"My stomach's growls got the best of me.." She said before getting a bite of her sandwich. As if on cue, his stomach started growling at the sight of her food. Her mouth started twitching until she couldn't help but burts in laughter.

"Is mister Venturi hungry? Hahaha,"

Before she could see the rouge color that spread through his cheeks, he snatched the sandwich off her hand and ran to the living room and up the stairs.  
"Hey! That's mine!" She yelled angrily, but soon she couldn't help but smile. Not even two minutes had passed when he returned with the notebook in his hands and the sandwich expectantly absent. Casey was already working on preparing a new one. Derek sat right next to her on the island counter.

"You could've said you wanted one, Derek"

"Sorry I had not eaten anything all day."

"Neither had I but you don't see me stealing other people's food." A smirk appeared on his face.

"That's my job. It's all good."

"Talking about jobs, you're my slave! You make me a new one." Derek snorted.

"Bossy much?"

Casey put on her best pout and pointed at her booted foot. Derek rolled his eyes, took the butter knife from her hand and began to make her a sandwich.

"Actually, you ate the pancakes I made you, if I remember correctly." A blush appeared on her cheeks and she looked away. He continued to make the sandwich anyway, despite his last statement.

"You call those disfigured and burnt things, pancakes? "

"Hey, you ate them didn't you?" He was determined to look for her eyes.

"…Ha! The only reason I ate them was because I was starving."

"So you did eat them." Derek couldn't help but have a smug smile on his face as he looked at the sandwich in process. He had not actually known if she had eaten them at all, the fact that she did made him inexplicably happy.

"They were gross though."

"Nah. They looked delicious to me. I bet you enjoyed them, your tummy was grateful."

"Sorry but your kitchen skills suck."

" Tsk, tsk. The apron says _kiss the cook_, not _insult the cook_, Space Case."

"Pfft. Your kitchen abilities will never earn you a kiss."

"Then what do I have to do to earn one?"

"Earn what?"

"A kiss, of course."

Casey turned to look at him surprised and saw that he was completely serious. His hands had stopped making her so demanded sandwich. His unwavering attention was focused entirely on her. He was so close and his deep brown eyes were intently staring at her. She felt like an insect being inspected and Derek was holding the magnifying glass.

"Ah…um, I.."

"Tell me, please"

How did the conversation turn into this? Her heart got stuck on her throat and she found herself at a loss of words. Had they not been in this situation before? He looked like he was genuinely pleading. But, was he for real? Or was he using his perfect acting skills on her?

_Gosh she's so beautiful.._

Her long and straight brown hair fell over her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes were wide open as long, dark lashes complimented them. Her cheeks were a deep pink as she was obviously blushing. Her lips looked so warm and soft.. He couldn't help himself anymore and moved closer to her. Not being able to wait for her reply he began to lean in.

This was what she wanted, with all her might. But hadn't he tried to kiss her before, on the exact, same place? He had never once told her if he felt something for her. Being a woman who expressed her feelings, she expected him to at least say something, anything that would make her understand what he wanted. But he never said anything. If he was trying to kiss her, there was no doubt about whether he felt some sort of attraction to her. But yet again, wasn't he after anything that wore a skirt? Was he playing now as well? Was he going to just tease her again and coldly walk away? After all, he already had a girlfriend. Was she some sort of distraction from Kendra? She couldn't take it anymore. She didn't feel strong enough to do that. Right as he was going to kiss her, she put the notebook in front of his face, so instead of finally kissing her lips he ended up kissing cold paper.

"Here's the address!" She said alarmed.

"Is kind of far away, over an hour actually." She turned away from him, and her wide and nervous eyes inspected every marvelous piece of technology in the kitchen.

Derek sighed in annoyance and reluctantly took the notebook to check the address.

"…O-kay. Did he say anything about the place? Why did he chose it?"

"Well, he said it was because it was very cheap…" She debated whether to mention the gambling thing was a wise thing to say at this point. Besides, if it was that cheap they could buy the TV and be out of there in a blink, right? He didn't have to know everything. He didn't have to know he could gamble for the TV instead of paying for it. Right? Derek, however, noticed her trail off her sentence and how she started to make weird facial expressions that indicated she was deep in thought, discussing with herself about something apparently troubling.

"…Uhu? And? What else?"

"-Huh? N-nothing. That's all." She looked away hoping he wouldn't see her nervous eyes.

He got closer to her, rested his arm on the counter right in front of her and stared intently at her while she kept looking away to avoid eye contact with him.

_Too close. Too close. Too close! Get away. Get away!_

Casey's heart started to hammer inside her chest.

"Really? Then why do I feel like you're not telling me something?"

"You're being paranoid, Derek."

"Mmm. I don't think so. You look so nervous is incredibly obvious"

"I do not. Now, back off."

Derek got even closer.

_Darn it!_

"I didn't know I had this kind of effect on you. Is either you're nervous because I'm so close to you or because you're hiding something from me. Which one is it?"

_Ugh._

That's where it all got to.

Pride.

Was it better to say the truth and agree on both options? Or was it better to take the easy exit and only chose the second option? If he knew he did have that effect on her, she could almost picture the huge smirk that would appear on his smug and stupid little face.

"You being so close is actually annoying and creepy, and I am not hiding anything, Derek."

_Ouch._ Creepy? That hurt. He faltered a little. _Am I being creepy?_

He then noticed she still looked as nervous as if she had committed a crime, and he had caught her red handed. Of course he wouldn't let this go. Screw the creepiness, this was surely something good.

"Oh yeah? Then why won't you look at me?"

Casey could not let him win.

She would not.

She took a deep breath to regain her strength and turned to look at him straight in the eye with a façade of calmness and seriousness. Only then did she realize Derek's nose was actually touching hers due to how close he was. Unconsciously, he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding, which blew across Casey's face.

Did he want her to explode and spill everything?

It worked.

"T-t-they also gamble the products of their store!" she said horrified as she scooted away from him, stepped off the stool and tried to walk out of the kitchen, but she didn't get too far as Derek grabbed both her arms and turned her to face him.

"AHA! And you wanted to hide this from me, why?"

"Y-you know why!"

"No I don't, care to explain?"

She removed his arms and looked at him square in the eye.

"Well…you tend to have a problem when it comes to gambling, Derek."

"What? No, I do not. What are you talking about?"

"You can get very competitive, and won't stop until you win."

"Oh, come on. That's nonsense. Besides, tell me, what are the odds of me losing?"

Reluctantly she had to admit he had a certain skill for these games; nothing to be proud of, of course.

"P-pretty slim."

"Exactly! This is perfect! What am I waiting for?" Derek checked his watch. It was about to be three in the afternoon.

"You can't go alone!" She panicked. Derek looked back at her surprised.

"Thanks for the concern Spacey, but I'll be fine. I'd rather you stay here with the kids."

"B-but I want to go!" _You might never get out of there_! She added as an afterthought, though only for herself.

Derek loved the look of concern on her face, but he still found it all amusing. He crossed his arms.

"But, who's gonna watch the kids Casey?"

Oddly enough they sounded like a married couple.

"...er...weeelll...- Emily! I'll ask her to watch them while we're gone!" She said excited as she dialed the phone and gave her back to him.

"Oh?...ok."

Derek thought it was absurd to have Casey watch over him, but instead of feeling annoyed as he surely would have felt before, he couldn't stop feeling so stupidly happy.

_She wants to go... with me.._

He couldn't hide the smile on his face anymore. This meant he could spend time with her out of everyone's noses. Since she wasn't looking, the huge, goofy grin plastered itself on his face. Until he realized what he was doing and erased it, feeling annoyed at himself and his new-found cheesiness.

"Hey, Em? could I ask you a huge favour?"

* * *

**I'm aliiive!**

**Don't kill me for having abandonded you all for so long! Writer's Block is the worst, plus I had been through a very stressful time with college stuff but is now, thanks to God, all fixed.**

**Here's your long awaited update! :) Your thoughts?**

**Please READ AND REVIEW so I can improve the story and take your thoughts into consideration :) click the Review button and write me something!**

**Come onnn, you know you want toooo ;)**

**Love you all!**

**~AmoreK**


	13. Love doesn't exist, Derek Venturi

WAAAH I'm back from the dead...I know you'll kill me for being absent for so longgg D:

**...though I hope you'll forgive me with this very, I mean very LONG chapter, worth 26 pages of 12 font, single-spaced goodness ;)  
****(over 11,000 words. the equivalent of 3 chapters, why make you wait agin :)**

**HOPE THIS MAKES UP FOR THE LONG WAIT! :)**

Shout-out to** Dark-Supernatural-Angel **whose review inspired this chapter!

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own LWD; Only this story and its crazy plot belong to my silly imagination.  
****  
ATTENTION**: PLEASE LISTEN TO _**Bloodstream**_ by **Stateless **AS SOON AS YOU SEE THIS SIGN **(!) **

**Hate Loving You  
****Chapter 12:  
****Love does not exist, Derek Venturi**

"Hey Em! Could I ask you a huge favor?"

"-not here at the moment. Sing your song for me!- *beep*"

Casey looked confused for a moment as Emily's voice mail interrupted her words, she hung up and tried several more times to no avail. She hung up after leaving a small message asking her to call her as soon as she could.

"It kept sending me to her voice mail…now that I think about it, I tried calling her cellphone some time ago but she never picked up…weren't you with her just a while ago?" Casey hung up and turned around to find Derek with a strained, grumpy expression on his face as if he were suppressing a smile with difficulty and forcing his face into a frown.

"Uh…Derek, what are you doing?

Derek woke up from his self-reprimand and looked at her. After coming to terms with reality, he found that trying to hide his emotions was not an easy thing now.

"-Wait, what was that?"

"Er…well you were there doing weird faces, just now." Casey said amused. He noticed how subtle dimples formed on her cheeks as she smiled and he couldn't help but reminisce into the past. For some strange reason her expression suddenly seemed more beautiful to him than before, that it took everything in him to keep himself from saying it out loud. Suppressing the impulse to pull her close he shoved his hands in his pockets.  
What in the world was happening to him? Since when was he a desperate creep?  
Trying to avoid her questioning, Derek turned tables quickly, like a pro.

"What were you saying before? I wasn't paying attention."

Casey looked skeptical but let it go as she observed him a little. Derek seemed impatient, anxious. His hands were inside his pockets as he tapped his right foot repetitively. His auburn eyes shifted about the place trying to avoid her gaze. A barely noticeable blush was clearly on his face. Casey was beyond shocked.

"Uh…I said, weren't you with Emily just a while ago? I can't get in touch with her."

Emily…

Derek looked away slowly as all the memories came crashing down in his head. Emily's unwavering attention as he uttered what he felt for his goody-mac-two-shoes of a step-sister. He remembered the heavy weight that made its way to his chest and the uncomfortable knot on his stomach as he observed Emily's reaction and listened to her reply. The same inner emotions began to wake in him as he felt Casey's eyes completely on him, waiting for a response. He shifted in his place, uncomfortable. Her blue orbs seemed too piercing, too observant; heat made its way to his neck as he felt as though she could see into the depths of his soul.

"Derek?** E-mi-ly**," she enunciated every syllable carefully. "weren't you with her just a while ago?"

Casey's voice seemed to fade away as his mind wandered to the events of the previous hours…

**===Flashback===**

Derek flinched a little in pain as he sat down Indian-style on Emily's white floor, as sitting down on her parent's bright, white couches was obviously a bad idea. Emily just followed his example despite it being her own couches, both trying to ignore the mud marks that Derek was leaving on her squeaky, clean floor. Could her parents and their house be less orderly and perfect? He doubted it.

Derek had never felt so nervous. Being found out and confronted by Lizzie was one thing, awkward but insightful. Plus, Lizzie did all the talking. Now it was his turn to put into words what he had never said to a living soul. All he kept from Miss Klutz all along and to Emily, Klutzilla's sidekick, felt as if he was caving his own grave, no less.

"So…will you tell me what is going on?" Emily said patiently.

Derek kept staring at the floor, debating whether all of this had been a good idea at all. His eyes kept wandering around Emily's spacious and clean living room, trying to find the tiniest spec of imperfection in an attempt to distract himself a little from the situation he was in.

Was all of this worth it? He wondered.

"…Derek? Hello..."

There was still time.

Why not just go back to his own game, what he was used to?

He could. He knew that.

Why not just go back to the type of girls he knew would follow his wishes in a heart-beat? They would definitively not put him into this type of situations. Neither would they make things so difficult, or annoying. His fingers played around with his untied and dirty shoelaces as he thought of this, grains of dirt leaving traces on his skin.

Images of several giggling girls on his list appeared in his mind. All were very attractive, flirts, they wore things that left little to the imagination, and the kind that were usually...err...less bright than an average girl. Despite this, however, they would get his drift in a matter of seconds without beating around the bush, or waste time caring for unnecessary things like names, decency, and reason. Their lips would be on his right away, no questions asked. They did not need to know each other, in fact, the less they knew the better. He had one heck of a time with them, but then again he could not tell them apart. He only felt one thing, the exact same thing with all of them. _Lust._

And even that was ephemeral. Once it was over, he was left feeling more void than before. Even while he was with them, he could not help but feel alone, the girl disintegrating like sand at his touch. He did not know them, he did not care, and they sure as heck did not care about him either. It was all about who took more, who got to leave more satisfied. He had a feeling it was always them.  
Underneath it all, he was not proud of his choices and felt quite ashamed about them, but he acknowledged that he chose that path for the very reasons he feared: getting too attached, unable to let go, getting hurt...

Living through his parents' divorce made him rip apart with his own hands any and all ideals he had of the word _Love_. Without understanding that his parents' story was not his own, he let go of every secret ideal and dream he held in his heart when he was still too young.  
For years, he followed his resolve. In his mind, love did not exist, it was all an illusion. Physical attraction, chemistry, fun; that was all there was to it. He did not need this…this weird thing people claimed to feel when they got too attached. That only brought trouble.

Big trouble.

He had made sure to never allow that in his life.

"Derek?" Emily tried to get his attention to no avail.

_'Love does not exist, Derek Venturi.'_  
He reminded himself.  
_'This is just a phase. You're just infatuated with her, yes. Just 'cause she's forbidden and all. This'll pass. Love is a tale, you fool."_

He could go back to his former, trouble-free life…his life without Casey. The place where he knew what to say and what to do. His field of expertise.

As the images continued, he contemplated some options. The feminine faces appeared and faded as he considered going back to that easy lifestyle…he knew his way with those girls, he could almost read their mind.  
Casey? She was definitively from another planet. As predictable and as open-book as she could be, she could be totally unpredictable. He felt in the dark for the most important of subjects. He never knew what she would do next...when it was about him...go figure.

_'Love does not exist, Derek Venturi.'_

These girls would make him feel at ease... but he realized that no matter the varying faces and bodies, they would never fill the void he felt growing. It was like going out with a shape-shifter. Different physique, same personality. They never made things feel different anymore. They weren't new, interesting, or… challenging. That was the word he was looking for.

Challenge.

The word brought a small smirk to his face. He loved challenges a little too much, and he knew that.

He loved the satisfaction of taking a challenge and winning.

He loved mysteries and their underlying secrets.

He was stubborn to keep trying until he achieved what he wanted, he rather liked to call it 'determination'.

...Challenge could very well be Casey's middle name. An involuntary, bigger smirk appeared on his face. The images of the giggling girls came to an abrupt stop when a sudden image came to his mind.  
Casey, glaring at him, for some prank he caused.

_De-rek_!

He heard her voice calling his name, breaking the smirk off his face.

**(!)**

The way her rosy lips moved as his name rolled on her tongue and escaped from within her was intoxicating, the picture echoed in his mind making him take a sharp breath. The picture was so vivid he wondered if he was actually seeing her. More illustrations began to make their parade in Derek's head as he closed his eyes instinctively, completely forgetting Emily's presence.

'Love does not exist, Derek Venturi.'

_Derek…  
_Her voice haunted him.

A memory he had forcefully suppressed for years came to him.  
The day he first laid eyes on Casey.

It was ten-thirty in the morning, he had just gone out of a boring class, annoyed already because at eleven he had to meet Nora McDonald's daughter, and he could not wait to get it over with, he had more important things to do. He was putting stuff in his locker and was about to shut it close when he saw from the corner of his eye, someone pass by him; a second glimpse made him quickly whip his head her way completely.

Her back was to him, but as she moved he began to get more glimpses of her. She suddenly stopped as she seemed to be speaking with someone whose face he couldn't see in the crowd. Her private school uniform made her stand out too much from everyone else, some people stared and others made teasing comments to her as they passed by. From his spot by his locker he checked her out... thoroughly.

_..Who... is ...She?'_

Black ballerina school shoes; tall white socks that covered her built, long legs and reached up to her knees; a high waisted, navy blue checkered skirt that began a couple of inches above her knees and hugged her waist nicely, accentuating her hips; a white shirt tucked inside the skirt flattering her modest bosom with a thin, navy blue tie, and an opened buttoned-down, navy blue sweater on top. Her long and straight, dark brown hair was lose over her shoulders and covered the side of the face that he could barely see. Though the uniform seemed to conceal, her body screamed 'athletic' all over and he could not concentrate on anything else happening around him.

Sure, his reputation propagandized him for chasing after anything that wore a skirt, after all he was only looking to have a good time. But don't get him wrong he did have a type that he specifically, secretly liked, and one that he was not about to divulge to anyone, not if he wanted to maintain appearances. And well, this girl, as far as he had seen, happened to embody just about everything that that type stood for, so of course he would be more than attentive to this new eye-candy.  
Despite his reputation and the popular belief that he only went out with attractive, risqué, and exuberant girls, he had always had a secret weakness for beautiful, modest-ish girls...  
Now, why in the world would Derek Venturi like that?  
Well, because more likely than not, they were hard to get, which represented a challenge_; _if they were a challenge, then it was unending fun to try to chase after them, which kept him interested. Plus, the last factor, if she minded how she dressed, her concealed body represented an inciting mystery_, _one that he would be more than glad to unravel...that is _if she obliged._  
But, no one of that caliber had really interested him as much.

Yep, he was certainly doomed in that department, which it is why he was so frustratedly attracted to it.

He began to wonder how it would feel like to hold her inviting frame; how his arms would circle her small waist easily, what her hair would smell like... After seeing what he thought was Aphrodite's body, he was so desperate to see the goddess' face.  
He knew he was getting way ahead of himself, perhaps his imagination was being too dramatic, but reason seemed to be out at the moment. Then again, reason and Derek were never the best of friends...

Mesmerized by the sight of her, he had forgotten that he was not casually looking anymore, his eyes were swallowing her whole in the middle of the crowded hallway. Embarrassed and alarmed, Derek closed his locker, and moved from his spot in hopes to see her face without anyone's scrutiny. Hiding under the stairs by the hallway, he had a perfect view. He got lost on the entirety of her.

Her face was pale but her cheeks were a deep pink, seeming embarrassment caused by a comment from a passerby. He imagined the skin of her face as smooth as porcelain under his fingers, warm in the heat of her distress. Her eyes were a bright blue, accentuated by her long, dark lashes and defined brows. Her gaze shifted around her, as if she were looking for someone; he immediately wished she would focus her eyes on him. She was speaking with somebody; his attention was too focused on her to hear the conversation and found himself wishing she would say his name. Her rosy lips moved about and he stared at them, wondering what it would feel like to taste them. Suddenly, she frowned. She seemed annoyed, or distressed. _'Who's bothering her?_'  
He reluctantly dragged his eyes to the person in front of her to show none other than…Nora McDonald.

He felt as if a burning, hard slap on the face was waking him up from a dream. Any enchanted thoughts he might have had of her, rapidly crumbled to the ground as he realized with horror that the girl he was building fantasies about was none other than the person he was supposed to meet today. Casey McDonald, Nora's daughter. His possible, future, dreaded…step-sister. If he had not realized this on time, he was sure he would have waltzed his way over as soon as she was alone and beg her, if necessary, to go out with him. Scared out of his wits, he tried to listen to them.

"- because he's meeting you here at eleven. Look Casey, please, do this for me." He heard Nora pleading with her. Casey sighed heavily. "Alright, fine." Casey let out a soft smile for her mother. He could not help but stare at the subtle dimples that appeared on her cheeks. Too frustrated and yes, scared to even try to meet her with a clear head, he immediately took out his cellphone and dialed a number.

"Hey... Ralph, want to earn twenty bucks?"…

He had decided he had to do everything possible to keep her away from him. He would not be able to live under the same roof with her if he thought of her like this. Heck, he would go insane. If her keener attitude had not thrown him off, he was afraid he would have liked her way too much from the start. Using that as a way to escape, he made a vow to make her ugly side come out, every person had one.

He would not like her, he would not want her. Not if he could help it.  
Making her life miserable was the key, the exit from his eminent purgatory. He would make sure of it. And if she hated him, all the better.  
Casey McDonald would not enchant him again.

'Love does not exist Derek…'

As soon as it came, the memory left him. More flashes of memories began to appear as he sat there silent on the floor with his eyes closed, completely forgetting that Emily was sitting not too far from him feeling completely awkward, but trying to respect his space none the less. She decided that perhaps preparing some tea while he zoned out was a good idea and left for the kitchen, Derek never noticed of course. He took in the full detail of the pictures his brain was providing.

_Derek..._

An image of Casey laughing at one of his good jokes made its way to his mind. Her laughter, echoing like a song of bells in his head.

Another suppressed memory resurged.  
Standing behind his father, Derek could see Casey across from him, standing behind her mother on the altar, clad in a pale pink halter dress and little white daisies on her hair as his father and her mother said their vows happily; her face, wearing a mask of joy while showing him discreetly, her complete opposition. He remembered how hard it was for him to maintain his composure and not trash the wedding; the idea that Casey would now be his step-sister, officially, was too wild, too bizarre to accept. Derek shivered and shook his head as if to get rid of the memory.

_Derek…_

More images replaced the past ones. Her eyes, bright sapphires that got amazed at the unlikeliest of things. Her graceful dance moves. He was meticulously conscious of her toned and glistening body as she twirled around in the living-room. Her messy hair and sleepy expression every morning. Some glimpses of the klutz tripping on things and biting back foul words.

Things he had bowed to forget for his sanity's sake seemed to betray him mercilessly and came back in high definition.

He remembered the one time he walked into the kitchen only to see an oblivious Casey in the laundry room, trying to remove a huge, dark stain from the t-shirt she was wearing. Before he was able to go and tease her about it- frustrated at the stain that seemed to mock her-without thinking, Casey took off her t-shirt exposing a black bra over her fair skin and shoved it into the washer machine, which was in the middle of the washing cycle.  
Too shocked to move, Derek was rooted on the spot, his eyes wide and unwavering, staring at…a couple of things. Too late to realize she did not bring an extra shirt to cover herself, she rapidly opened the drier machine hoping to find something, it was all Derek's clothes. Annoyed but seeing no alternative, she took the first thing she touched, one of his hockey jerseys. She frowned and searched through for other clothes, no such luck. It was all Derek's hockey attires. Finally reacting, he quickly ducked under the kitchen counter when she looked around alarmed. Seeing his clothes as better than walking around half-naked, she put on Derek's jersey, which reached mid-thigh, a little below her jean shorts, giving him the illusion that she wore nothing under his jersey. He felt the rushing of blood going to his face as his heart quickened its beat and he finally understood the slight meaning of the word hyperventilating. She looked around one more time before she ran out of the laundry room into the back corridor and up the stairs, hoping no one had seen her, especially the owner of the jersey. He remained in the kitchen floor for a long time, mute and still in shock.

Why the hell did he have to walk in at exactly that time?  
Why did he leave His clothes in the drier machine?  
Why couldn't they be Nora's or Lizzie's clothes?  
Why couldn't he be more organized and take them out exactly when they were done drying two hours before?  
Why couldn't they have canceled the hockey game he was watching that prevented him from caring enough to take them out?  
Why couldn't he have hung out with Sam instead of freaking staying home that day?!

The tormenting questionnaire was endless.

Not until the next day did he find the jersey neatly folded in his closet. Some weird urge possessed him and he smelled the jersey, finding a faint sweet scent that definitively did not belong to him. '_Did she wear it all day, or what?' _The memory of her wearing the jersey was unbearable. He could not bring himself to wear it again, afraid the smell of her skin would leave, or worse, suffocate him into madness. He knew he was being weird and absurd but he bought a new one. That single, seemingly insignificant event haunted him for weeks and he was not able to look at her in the eyes for a long while, being more of a jerk to her did the trick of keeping her away…

'Love does not exist…'

More memories. Great.

The mesmerizing detail of a tear, slowly streaming down her face and drowning in the corner of her lips, when her dad would not stay to spend time with her. The fading sounds of her quiet sobs at dawn that would infiltrate into his room and into his mind through the wall's vent, which would keep him awake all night. Images of her sad expressions and quirks that he had secretly caught appeared quickly and he felt a heavy weight set on his chest as his brain continued to play with him endlessly.

_Derek…_

'Love does not…'

Casey playing Babe-rider, her hands gripping the controller and pressing buttons randomly, a silly grin adorning her face. Casey hugging Marti, her hands tenderly caressing her head as Marti smiled. An image of her reading a book on the living room, her fingers holding the page on the right as if ready to flip it over. The sound of her voice, always singing in the shower or in her room, infiltrating into his room.  
An image of her face as she fell asleep watching TV next to him; a latter showing the couch's pattern marks on the entire left side of her face, her hair disarrayed and tangled, as she woke from what seemed the best sleep she's ever had, lazy grin and all. Her teeth slowly biting her lower lip in concentration during the calculus exam; he now considered revealing the fact that he was staring at her and not his own test…no wonder he failed that one. Casey yelling at Derek's "bully" while her finger poked his chest accusingly.

Her protective and caring feelings towards him confused, annoyed,warmed, comforted, and frustrated him all at the same time.  
'Why does she do all these things? What is it she thinks of me?'

_Derek…_

The memory of carrying her to her room, the feeling of having her in his arms and at his complete mercy overwhelmed him. Her wide eyes and crimson cheeks as his nose and lips lightly touched her face that night. The way she hit his back repeatedly and yelled his name as he carried her over his shoulder down the stairs. Her face covered in flour, white sprinkles adorning her hair as if particles of snow. Her shocked expression as he gave her the disfigured pancakes. Her overly embarrassed, red face as the water from the shower fell upon them, the water droplets traveling to every inch of her half-exposed body. The sound of the water drowned any other sounds in his mind for a moment, he could almost feel the water's steam caressing his face. Her warm hands on his back as Marti's voice drowned in the background, warm water drops streaming down his face. The look of worry she gave him as he exited the bathroom through the stained glass window.

'Love does…'

Lastly, no longer a memory, he imagined Casey's face. Her downcast eyes lifted up until she was looking straight at him, his name escaped her lips in a soft whisper that echoed in his mind.

_…Derek_

'Love…'

He let out the breath he did not know he was holding.

_Derek..._

"err…Derek? Hellooo…?"

Somehow that did not sound right, the pitch and texture were odd...

"…hey, um…Deeereeek Venturii.."

...that was definitively not Casey's voice anymore.

He snapped his eyes open, embarrassed to no end as his sight landed on Emily. He looked at her freaked eyes before he looked away again, she was now seating next to him again, two cups of tea on the floor. "_...How long was I out?"_ He wondered. Before she could say anything he blurted out what had been stuck in his throat, fighting to get out.

"I...I like her…" Derek broke the awkward silence, startling Emily a little.

"What?"

"I-I like Casey."

"Yeah, I know. I mean, you guys actually get along we-"

"No." His firm tone made her silent. He then looked straight at her and his eyes darkened in seriousness.

"I _like_ her," Emily's eyes began to widen slowly in understanding. "-actually, I…I'm afraid- **terrified** it might be more than that."

His hands were strained as if anxiousness had overtaken them before he ran then through his messy, muddy hair.

"I'm going insane here…I can't get her out of my head!"

A few seconds passed by before Emily could say something.

"…Oh."

For some weird reason, he didn't like the fact that her reply was way too calm, as if he had just told her that it was fifty-three degrees outside. He decided to look at her and waited for a bigger reaction.

"Well…" One corner of her mouth began to lift slowly as if to smirk softly.

"…Well?" Derek looked at her anxiously looking for a more elaborated response, as her hint of a smirk was starting to bother him.

"Well, that's great." She couldn't hide the smile that seemed to mock him a little.

"...huh?" Derek wasn't sure if he heard right. Emily was now chuckling to herself as she shook her head a couple of times. Nothing was making sense to him anymore.

"Woah! what do you mean? And why in the world are you giggling? I just told you I'm a sicko who thinks about his step-sister, and not in a brotherly way, I might add. Doesn't that freak you out? Because it certainly freaks _me_ out..."

Emily couldn't help but laugh out loud as Derek's brow furrowed more and more. She eventually stopped and Derek was visibly more annoyed than ever.

"Done?"

She sent him an apologetic look while still holding a smile.

"No, Derek. It doesn't freak me out in the least,"

Derek stared at her in disbelief, his hair in disarray as mud decorated him all over.

"Okay, maybe a little..."

Derek rolled his eyes.

"Just kidding. It's actually kinda funny, Derek."

Derek frowned as he was stepping over new levels of annoyance.  
"Well then, explain to me what's so freaking hilarious 'cause I don't see it."

"It's great that you finally realized it. I mean, it only took you so long…"

Derek blinked a couple of times.  
"…excuse me?"

"Derek, I'm sorry, but you're not as poker-face as you think you are. You're actually quite... obvious." She said the last word carefully as she realized his eyes were starting to panic. Derek forgot how to act normal as her words felt like heavy cinder blocks falling on him.

"…wh..a-again, what..?"

Emily allowed a few giggles to escape her lips before she began to look a bit uncomfortable, something that made Derek feel oddly at ease since that gave him a more normal reaction, except that once he heard her reasons any sense of ease abandoned him.

"…Derek I know this is super-awkward and I don't even know why in the world I'm telling you this but, remember how I **used to** have a massive crush on you, **a few years back**?" She made sure to put emphasis on the past tense of the words, assuring him of its implied meaning.

Derek nodded awkwardly .

"Well… I'm a very observant person by nature and you were someone I… _studied_ in a regular basis…as weird as that sounds. 'Cause of that I'm able to tell when something's up with you. You had never acted like this before so, of course I noticed."

"A-are you serious? Acted…like, what?..."

"...You really wanna know?"

Derek vigorously nodded, the possibilities were eating at him. Emily took a deep breath, a bit nervous before continuing.

"Well, Derek…you're...too obvious. When you look at her you don't just look, you stare like a fool n' for a long time. You get all weird when she arrives, is so funny. You have this look in your eyes I never see any other time and you waste no time in trying to mess with her. When you speak with her you always stand close enough to have at least a hair of physical contact. You have this thing you do anytime _she_ touches you…"

Emily paused to look at him. His eyes were wide open, his mouth slightly ajar, his skin paler than normal. She decided it was better to stop.

" …ahem, yeah just to name a few things…"

"What is it? Finish what you were saying!"

"I think I've said enough Derek, this is awkward..."

"Say it!"

Emily sighed.

"…Well, is nothing big really. Is just so unlike you is funny. Whenever she touches you purposefully, as in grabbing your arm or touching your hand to call your attention, you look slightly startled for a second and then you blink faster than usual, as if you don't blink enough times she might disappear right in front of you. And then the most un-Derek-like factor of all, once the brief, blink freak show stops, you avoid her eyes completely. While she talks to you, you look away. Is hilarious, yet weird. Assertive and confident Derek avoiding direct eye contact..hmm you'd think anyone would notice that.."

Derek forgot he could breathe; he wanted nothing but the earth to swallow him whole. Emily looked away a little embarrassed and let out a few nervous chuckles.

"Yep.."

"…h-how long have I done that?"

"...For quite a while now, actually. Is not something recent. I'm afraid is not that hard to notice for those of us who know you well."

Derek's eyes went wide open, terrified at Emily's revelation. No wonder Lizzie had noticed too! He bitterly thought that the only thing left in his list of quintessential embarrassments was for Marti to come and ask Smerek why he stared at Casey so much. He buried his face on his hands, embarrassed to no end.

"…gaahhhh, I can't believe this is happening to me….this is so f-...messed-up…" He minded his words in front of Emily, though she knew exactly the vocabulary he wanted to use.

"Derek, it isn't fffff-messed-up," she mocked him with a chuckle. "is actually… understandable." She ended with a more somber tone.

"…the heck do you mean?" Derek asked without taking his hands off his face.

"Well, think of it this way. You live with an attractive girl, who's your age 'n has no blood relation to you whatsoever. She only became your step-sister 'cause your dad and her mom got married three years ago. I guess if you guys had grown up together all your lives then it would've been a different story; perhaps y'all would've seen each other as siblings. But you guys were two strangers, two hormonal teenagers that were recently forced to live under the same roof. That's tough stuff, if you ask me. I'm amazed you guys weren't somehow involved earlier."

Derek took his hands away from his face slowly, and looked at her.

"If you think about it, what I just said makes complete sense, Derek."

Derek seemed to contemplate on her comment for a while and Emily handed him his tea.

"I-I never thought of it that way.. All this time I thought I was the worst, some kind of sick pervert."

"Nah, you're being a guy liking a girl. She's** not** your sister Derek, there's no reason for you to feel bad for feeling that way about her." Derek felt her words relieving the heavy burden off his shoulders.

"But, you don't really like her," She suddenly said. He frowned at this.

"But I just told you-"

"Sounds like you're in love with her." She finished looking straight in his eyes with a soft smile. He was speechless as her words echoed in his head.

"...woah there...That-that's impossible. I ...don't do that stuff."

"Is that so?" She replied with mock skepticism.

"Well yeah, that stuff's for kids. We all know that doesn't really exist." He said this with a tone that Emily found hard to decipher.

"Derek, is love, not the easter bunny."

"Love _is _a kid's tale though.." Derek looked away, repeating his mantra, but an image of Casey kept getting on the way. Emily thought for a moment and smirked before she turned to him.

"What do you think about your family?"

"what do you mean?"

"What do you feel for them?"

"Seriously, Emily. What are you now, Doctor Phil?" Derek chuckled.

Emily gave him a serious look and Derek decided to go along.

"Meh, they're alright."

Emily ignored his obvious tactics of avoidance and went for a killer question.

"Okay, what do you_ feel_ for Marti?" She was too smart on her choice.

"Where are you trying to get at?" He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Hate, pity, annoyance, reluctance, tolerance, sadness, love, what?" She ignored his inquiry. Derek rolled his eyes for the millionth time but replied at last.

"She's my little sister, of course I love her. why do you ask-"

"Aha! You _love_ your little sister." Derek went back to his confident manner.

"You know what I mean. That's different and you know it, Emily."

"Is it now? It may not be romantic, but you feel _affection_ for your cute, little Marti. Is it some coincidence, some chemical mix, some funny mishap in the cells that made you feel affection for your family? Or is it that Love actually exists?"

"Uh..." He began to visualize his family. His goofy and loving father; his smart and smelly younger brother, and his cute and precocious little sister. Of course he loved them, not that he'd say it out loud. Then an image of Nora and Lizzie appeared. He let out a small smile, they had become important to him, his family.

"Would you be willing to do anything for them?"

Derek smirked.

"Define _willing, do, _and _anything._" Emily rolled her eyes and gave him a hard look.

"Derek, your act only works on an audience, work with me here. I'm serious." Derek let out a small laugh before complying.

"Alright, alright. Sure."

"Why?

"What do you mean why? 'Cause they're my fam."

"Would you say you're forced to do it?

"That's messed up. I'd do it because I feel like it...not that I'd tell them, of course."

"Exactly. You'd do anything, not because something weird in your DNA told you to, but because you want to. In other words, you actually care about them. Translation: You love them, Derek."

"...I guess so.." He admitted, confused as to what she was trying to say overall. She thought a little before she spoke again.

"How would you feel if something were to happen to any of them? Like something really bad." Derek's features darkened so fast it almost scared her.

"What the-Don't even say that!"

"Let's say, Marti..." She dared to venture that way, trying hard to suppress her guilt as his expression became one of horror and pain.

"Okay, what the hell Emily!" Derek stared at her in disbelief. What the heck was wrong with her?

"Just answer me, Derek. Please." She continued with her mission.

"Don't ever- never say that again! It..." He breathed slowly and looked away, trying to make his anger and horror go away.

"It would kill me. " He finally answered. Emily felt horrible for saying those things but she was happy her goal was being reached.

"Derek...all this you're feeling right now...you can't tell me that what you feel for your family doesn't exist. You proved that to me just now."

Derek thought about this deeply as Casey appeared on his mind again. Emily sipped some of her tea as he zoned out briefly.

Emily smiled at Derek as he marveled at the idea.

"I never thought of that before..." Out of nowhere, however, he suddenly shook his head, still holding something within that Emily was never to know.

"But that still doesn't mean I love Casey. I like her a lot more than I should...I accept it, but love? That's just not happening." He said stubbornly, ignoring the heat that made its way up to his neck as he remembered Casey's closeness, her hands gripping his shirt for fear of being dropped as he carried her to her room the night before.

"Based on what you've told me, this sounds like something more serious than a mere crush Derek, you're just in stupid denial. And the longer you take to realize this, the more you'll hurt Ca-...others."

"But, I mean, I don't think-"

She gave him a hard, questioning look. Trying to ease the previous tension, she began theatrically.

"Derek, who is the one person that distracts you most, the person you first think about when you wake up and the last when you go to sleep?"

"uh-" He was sidetracked by her sudden lightness.

"Who is the one person you want to kiss and hold right now?" She pouted her lips and hugged herself comically. Derek raised an eye-brow.

"well-"

"Who is the one person you daydream during class or work, and the one you dream about when you sleep?"

"I-"

"Who is it that makes you happy when they're happy, and angry and frustrated when they're sad?" She said dramatically, internally amusing herself at his sudden discomfort.

"would you stop that? Stop cutting me off. And what's with the theater show?" He said exasperated.

"Well?"

"I..." He exhaled heavily. "it's...darn it...is all her." He said looking away. Emily grinned from ear to ear briefly before assuming a serious look once he looked back.

"Does seeing her happy make you happy?"

"How cheesy can you get, Emily?"

"Answer the question!"

"sure, jeez!"

"Ha! who's cheesy now!"

"What the-"

"KIDDING, couldn't help it haha. How about when she's sad or upset?"

"...I want to beat the ass of the idiot who caused it"

"Interesting," Derek rolled his eyes.

"Now, let me ask you the most important question, would you be willing to do _anything_ to see her happy?

"Define willing and-" Derek began as habit but stopped once he saw Emily's dark gaze "...argh, I guess I would."

"...Even if her happiness means...not being with you?" She said serious, all playfulness gone. Derek looked down for a moment and was silent for a short while before replying.

"Y'know, maybe some time back I would've said no. Screw it, if she wouldn't be with me then why bother? I'd move on, no big deal...but...I now I realize things are very different." He admitted, much to his chagrin.  
" I had to suck it up with all the idiots she's dated. I made sure the crappy ones were out for good and no matter how annoying it was, I was actually glad when she went out with Sam, because I know he's a good guy, she'd be happy. And while her taste in guys is lame, at least... I know they can give her... what I can't." He finished with a darker tone.

At this Emily's brow furrowed _'what the heck does he mean?'_

_"_I guess what I'm saying is...yes, I would do anything for her, even if it means she'll end up with some preppy-douchey guy...and not me." He said distantly before he looked back at Emily, who had heard the badly disguised pain in his voice.  
_'Wow...' _She was stupefied beyond repair. Derek always gave an arrogant and selfish vibe; his too famous of a determination to get what he wanted seemed to crumble in pieces before her eyes and she was having a hard time dealing with this completely alien side of him.

"...Wait a minute, what happened to all that_ 'what Derek wants, Derek gets' _stuff Casey always complains about to me?" Emily wiggled her fingers at his infamous quote.

A weak smirk came to his features and he looked past her into some imagined horizon.

"Well, I realized that sometimes what _Derek_ wants doesn't always want him back." He looked down at the mud on the floor. "That doesn't mean I have to be a jerk about it...all the time."

Emily was amazed at his words. Never in her lifetime would she imagine he would utter those words.

"Hmm Derek...hate to spell it out for you but, in this planet...that is called L-o-v-e. And man, have you got it bad.."

He sighed wearily, reluctantly digesting her statement. An image of Casey smiling at him haunted his tormented mind.

"...Has this ever happened to you before, Derek?"

"No."

Emily simply gave a small smile, her conclusive gaze confirmed his much dreaded suspicions.

"I...I'm in love with her...?"

He whispered, the words alien to him, as if someone else had spoken, too soft but Emily was close enough to hear it. He let out a breath in amazement as he finally realized Emily was right. He ran his hand through his hair until it rested at the back of his neck.

"...I'm in love with her..." He repeated in disbelief, this time, out loud. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he paled.

"Wait a minute...I'm, I'm in love with her..I'm freaking in love with Casey McDonald" He repeated, except now with shock and terror.

"Oh God.." He buried his face in his hands again. "Great, this is just greaaatt! Peachy, really. I'm such an idiot!" He proceeded to bang his head on the white coffee table next to him.

"Oh come on, is not that bad," She slapped his shoulder nonchalantly.

"You know, Emily, sometimes you can be a real pain in the ass. No wonder you're Casey's best friend."

"Sure, sure. But this pain in the ass is helping _your_ ass isn't she? Now shut it."

He simply smirked slightly and rolled his eyes, not really feeling better as the huge realization of his feelings was still overwhelming him, yet, coming to terms with the truth made him oddly at ease. The mystery, the confusion, the struggle, the torment, the denial, it was all over.

The truth was there, setting him free.

"You know..." He began suddenly. "In a way, I think I've always felt something for her from the start. Weird, I know. But I remember I couldn't take my eyes off her the first day I saw her. I had nightmares that night, after I found out she'd be my step-sister."

Emily could only imagine his situation. She contained the urge to squeal in such a rare, adorable confession and decided to get down to business.

"Okay. Have you told her?" Emily looked hopeful at him, and when she saw his eyes look away, a frown appeared on her face.

"Oh no, Derek Venturi you haven't told her? Whyy?"

"One…Because I wasn't sure yet how I felt about her, to be honest all of this is still freaky enough. And two, when I actually tried to tell her something about it today, sweet, sweet Marti interrupted us. I can never get an alone moment with her without something or the other happening." His smile was dripping with sarcasm and frustration."But...now, I've decided I should... probably never tell her. " Emily could just sigh in annoyance.

"What?...Are you freaking serious? Don't tell me you're afraid of telling her? You? Of all people!"

"I'm not scared. I'm just, y'know, being careful about it. It could ruin absolutely everything." _Everything I worked so hard to build_, he added to himself.

Emily snorted. Was she hearing ok? Since when was Derek Venturi careful about anything? Reckless was practically his middle name.

He realized the absurdity of his words but what angered him the most was that they were half-true. He frowned and looked away, a dark shade of red seemed to stay on his face, his amber eyes trying to hide from hers. His frustration took over and he finally snapped.

"I had decided to tell her what I _thought_ I felt, because I had the small impression that she was acting weird, as if she actually kinda liked me. But Emily, now that I really think about it, she could be liking me as as a good friend or as a...gah! as a brother!" He recoiled at the idea. "But I had to be the idiot who freaking fell for her! the girl I had worked so hard to hate, way to ruin everything! Why should I make things so awkward between us now? Now that we only have one last semester together? If she really doesn't feel the same I would only make her uncomfortable and burdened about it, she would avoid me and look at me weird. And I would try to stay as far as possible too. But you can't really avoid someone you live with! Much less if your room is right next to theirs! It would be the worst semester of our lives!" His fears were completely out in the open and Emily didn't know what to say. He sighed exasperated and mentally counted to ten as he massaged his temples, trying to calm down. Once he did, he spoke again with a softer tone.

"Besides, Casey doesn't want a guy like me, you know that. She wants a fancy prince. But is fine, really. College is coming soon and we'll be out of each other's lives for good. I'll get over it, eventually. No need to make things worse than they already are between us."

Emily finally found her voice. "Derek you **must** tell her."  
"Didn't you hear everything I just said? No." He stubbornly gave a look of finality and looked away, trying to close the subject. She gave it a shot and tried another approach. She acted resigned and sighed in defeat.

"Oh well, is ok if you're afraid. Is fine really. Is not worth it, right? Maybe Noel will know she's available. We can both agree that they'll eventually get together and they'll live happily ever after. Just like you wanted." Derek shrugged his shoulders.

"Just like I wanted," he repeated. "For her to have her perfect, douchey prince and live the life she always read about in her stupid, girly books." Derek stated with a tight smile as he continued to act nonchalant about it though her words were slowly starting to irritate him. Her look suddenly changed to one of mischief and then to one of deep thought as soon as he looked at her.

"Oh well…but what about... our dear friend, **Max**?" She enunciated his name with enough emphasis and charm. The mere mention of that guy's name snapped Derek's act in two as he felt the tension overcome his shoulders, but he still refused to budge as he smiled once again.  
"What about that...niiice...guy..he.. him?"

Emily acted as if she was genuinely thinking it over. "Hmm, he likes her **a lot** too, y'know?" Derek's eye began to twitch slightly. "Last I heard he **really** wanted her back, wonder how he's doing with that...every time I speak to him he's always _'Casey this_,' or _'Casey that_,' I mean, really..." Derek felt his blood boiling as he clenched his jaw. His lips were in a tight line, suppressing the urge to say a couple of things that would surely burn anyone's ears.

"Casey likes guys who play sports. And Max is not only a great player, I mean he is captain of the football team! what are the odds...he's also really good-looking, girls flock him all the time. Like you, he's been with plenty of them, so he must know how to show a girl a good time." Derek cleared his throat loudly.

"Emily? Your point?" Derek asked with as much nonchalance as he could muster, a tight smile over his features .

"And oh, did you know how cool and sweet that guy can be? He used to give Casey his team jacket all the time, gosh, everything Casey could want!" She ignored his question and kept going. Derek remembered Casey walking down the hallways wearing Max's jacket, it made him sick.

"...Oh really? Are you forgetting how he turned her into a mindless Barbie and wanted her to be his own personal cheerleader?" The irritation and anger within him began to multiply by the second.

"I mean, that wasn't that bad...Casey was glad to change. Besides, he wanted her into his world because he really liked her. It was a good kind of change, she was, as you always called her, a geek, a book-worm, a keener, a klutz, an outsider to the social universe. He achieved to make her popular and fit in." Derek felt guilt overcome him as he distinctly remembered the times he called her those names. But he couldn't ignore her words.

"Woah, wait, you're saying you were ok with it? I thought you were her best friend! You're saying it was fine for him to completely trample over her and change her into his own liking? What the hell? So what she wanted didn't matter? Who she is didn't matter? If she stayed who she was he wouldn't like her? She's so much more that anything he wanted her to be and you know it, she shouldn't have to change for anyone! Much less an ass like him. She's perfect the way she is, and she was smart enough to end things with him." His anger was reaching its peak, making him say corny things he would never say if he was in control of himself. Emily was more than ecstatic.

"Relax, all I'm saying is that he could also be her prince charming! Casey likes confidence in a guy. Max is a very, very confident guy, y'know?...since you already backed out, 'cause you're afraid and all... I guess he will have more guts than you to tell her what he feels...I mean he really **wants **her..."

Oh, that did it.

Derek's hands went into fists as he stood abruptly. "I'm not afraid of anything! And if that tool so much as tries to touch one of her hairs I swear I-"

"I'm sorry, you'll what?"

Emily raised an eyebrow and smirked, clearly making him understand just how much he had just showed.

_'Emily you clever, little-'_

"Wow, I've never seen your inner Hulk before. Not the psycho-jealous one, anyway."

"Oh, Shut up. You're seriously telling me you would be ok with Casey going back to him?" Derek asked her sternly.

"Would you?" She countered as she stood up to face him, all humor gone. "Would you be ok with her going back to Max? You, who knows her best, and who apparently loves her the way she is, would be ok with her being in the care of some idiot who doesn't know half of what he has?"

Derek stared at her. "Would you really, Derek?" She repeated.

"...No, I wouldn't."

"Well if you don't do anything she'd end up right back with him, or worse, with some idiot who's worse than him!" She said exasperated.

"Oh hell no."

"Then do something! If you don't, you won't have the right to complain later, mister, because by backing out then every other guy should have their chance with her, you'd have to suck it up aaaalll the way dearie, even if she does end up with your beloved Maaax.."

"Alright, alright! I get it! I'll tell her!" He yelled angry.

"UGH FINALLY!" Emily collapsed on her couch. "Man you're a real piece of work, how in the world Casey manages to live with you and not go crazy is beyond me."

"Gee, thanks Emily."

"You're welcome." She grinned. Derek rolled his eyes but let out a small smile none the less. "Derek, be honest, had you done ANY progress with this at all?" Derek scratched the back of his neck as he smiled nervously.

"I…I uh, I almost.. kissed her, twice…" Emily's eyes went wide like plates, Derek got alarmed and said the rest of the sentences too fast. "but that only made things awkward between us, we had never gotten so strange with each other, which is why I didn't think it was a good idea to tell he-"

"You **what**? Oh my go-wait, you said 'almost,' why is there an 'almost' in your sentence? **WHY**?"

"I just…didn't go through with it.."

"You didn't…go through...with it. What in the freaking world do you mean?"

"…I ended up not kissing her."

"...Wait, just how obvious were you?"

"W-what do you mean?"

Emily began to stand up menacing, her brown eyes seemed to get darker.

"…was she aware of it? As in, you were going to sneak up and kiss her, or you were very obvious about it?"

"I…would think so," Emily gave him a look that suggested he was to be more specific than that. "…I grabbed her face and y'know, leaned in..."

"What did she do?"

"…She didn't do anything but," Derek's eyes went wide.. "she didn't walk away..."

Emily let out an exasperated breath as she wanted nothing but to rip Derek's hair out of his scalp. Of course she knew about Casey's feelings, she was her best friend after all. Emily was a bit hurt Casey had not trusted her with it just yet, but given the circumstances and Casey's knowledge of Emily's past crush on Derek, she guessed it was understandable and acceptable. When she was ready, she would tell her.

"…..And you say you didn't go through with it, Derek Venturi!"

Derek looked at Emily a little scared as he looked at her hands, positioned as if ready to strangle him at any moment.

"So you leaned in and then, suddenly... **walked away**? Are you crazy? That's horrible! You're telling me that you pretty much teased her, then left her hanging? Her thinking of you as a jerk is a given but now she's going to think you're playing with her, you big idiot!"

The words echoed in his head.

Derek just went back to smacking his face on his hands, understanding just how dumb he had been.

"Gaahhh..." Derek cursed under his breath.

Emily started sternly.

"…Why didn't you?"

Derek remained silent. Emily sighed as she calmed down, repeating her question softly and patiently.

"Derek, why didn't you?"

Derek's voice came out just as soft.

"...I thought she was too good …to ever be mine."

Emily's heart was gripped as she could feel the sadness in his voice, she sat next to him again and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"As much as I would like to slap you right now, I understand," Emily crossed her arms "but shouldn't she decide that for herself? Why are you deciding for her, idiot?"

Derek turned his head to look at her. "You are deciding this all by yourself without giving her any say. That's not fair to anyone. Derek please, you have to tell her how you feel."

He looked away, reminiscing back to the moment in which he pulled Casey close before exiting the bathroom through the window and whispering in her ear_ 'this conversation isn't over'_. The feeling of her warm skin under his hold was unforgettable.

"Derek, If I was you, I would do something about it before someone else, *cough* Max, *cough* could steal the chance from me."

He simply narrowed his eyes at her, the irritation lingering in him as her words echoed in his head.

_'Are Emily and Lizzie working together or something?' _He finally nodded.

"And, Derek?"

"Hmm?.."

"Next time you try to kiss her, please promise me you'll actually do it, idiot!"

She smacked him upside the head.

**_===end of flashback===_**

"Okay, wow…Derek?"

Casey poked Derek's arm to see if he would wake up from his long, weird trance. Derek was now sitting on the couch staring off into space as he had been lost in thought for what seemed ages.

"Der…**De-rek**!"

That worked.

"Huh?"

"Gosh…what's wrong with you today? Are you sure you didn't hit your head when you fell?"

Derek snapped back to the present.

"This seems to happen often lately. You space out of nowhere and for a long time."

"Wait, what?"

Casey sighed and decided to let it go.

"Forget it, weirdo. You were with Em a while ago, do you know if she stayed home? She's not picking up her cellphone."

_'Hmm Derek...hate to spell it out for you but, in this planet...that is called L-o-v-e. And man, have you got it bad..'_

"E-Emily?"

'_Derek please, you have to tell her how you feel.'_

"Yeah, Emily. Are you even listening?"

'_Next time you try to kiss her, please promise me you'll actually do it…idiot'_

He stood up from the couch and walked a bit away from her, his eyes looked away as he felt a heavy warmth spread through his chest and a dark, crimson shade gathered across his face. He began to feel so nervous and self-conscious; these things were completely and meticulously noticed by Casey. His eyes wandered around aimlessly as he started shifting on his feet restlessly and breathing a little heavier than usual. Casey was baffled for a moment. Did something happen while he was with Emily?

"Um, Derek? Are you ok?"

Derek turned to look at her in surprise and terror.

"Huh? yeah! Why? What makes you think I'm not ok?" Wow, the lord of the lies flew out the window.

If Derek could look any more red, Casey was afraid he would explode.

"Um…" Casey was not sure how to point out the obvious.

Derek sighed exasperated and turned away from her, rubbing the back of his neck. Casey then felt as if her heart was being ripped out. She wanted to ask him, she wanted to know, but she just did not know how to speak at the moment. She had never seen Derek like that in her life, and thinking that Emily might be the reason for it all made her want to cry. She got a little nervous as she fidgeted around a bit and played with some ends of her hair to distract herself a little from the green-eyed monster she felt creeping under her skin.

"W-why did you go to Emily's house?"

"I... needed to discuss something with her."

"…Can I ask what?"

"No."

Casey flinched slightly but Derek could not see her.

"…why?"

"I don't want to talk about it, right now." Derek said a bit tense, not meaning to sound as mean as it sounded to Casey. She knew he needed some space, for whatever reason, but she could not help herself. She ignored the knot that wanted to form in her throat stepped in front of him hoping he would face her.

"You don't want to talk about it, or you simply don't want to tell _me_, specifically?" Casey didn't mean to give into her emotions but she couldn't control them anymore. Her gaze was becoming glassy as her brows furrowed.

Derek looked sideways, avoiding her eyes. He thought about the timing, the place, and the nosy children upstairs. Perfect to confess it all to her?

Nope.

But how can you get Casey off your back about it, for now? Too fast, he decided to choose the least intelligent answer, without much thought about the consequences.

"I simply don't want to tell _you_…_specially you_." He unconsciously added with slight fear.

Casey's eyes went wide. Normally she would not care, this didn't need to be a big deal, but the way he said it, the way he had just uttered that sentence made her insides cringe.

"W-what do you mean?"

Derek was starting to get nervous again under her scrutiny and desperate to get away from her piercing gaze, he took on his role, a little too much. Too tense, to even consider the alarming cons of his decision.

"What are you? My mom? I don't want to tell you what happened, is none of your business. I don't need to tell you everything I do and say and to whom!"

Casey's jaw dropped slightly as she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Now, if you'll get off my back about this, we were on our way to get the TV…though is fine if you decided to stay…seeing as you look all mad at me and stuff now…"

If looks could kill, Derek would have been long dead and buried. The crimson on her face matched his, except hers was all caused by outrage and humiliation. But if he thought he would win and she would stay home all mad and frustrated, he was oh, so very wrong.

He was ready for the upcoming yelling and lecturing he was used to, but to his utter shock and fear, she breathed slowly, looked down briefly and then adopted a blank look, so empty it scared him. He knew this was Casey's maximum level of anger and frustration, the one reserved for very, very rare occasions, since it went against her explosive nature completely.  
The one where she completely swallows her emotions, controls her face, and decides she is done with the situation.

She ignored the all-consuming urge to reminisce in their past.

No more arguing, she was done with Derek Venturi.

"I am going, whether you like it or not. I'll go see Emily and ask her personally." She attempted to leave but Derek had not moved from his place, blocking her exit, as he regretted completely what he had just done.

_"**Move**_."

Casey said in the most normal way she could manage, but it sounded so cold and empty Derek could almost feel his heart freeze.

"Casey, I-"

"**Now**."

Since he was frozen on the spot Casey pushed pass him and left him alone to contemplate on the monumental stupidity of his actions. Couldn't he have just said _'Not now, I'll tell you later?_' Seriously.

"Gahhh…" Derek ran his hands over his hair and muttered profanities under his breath as he began kicking the couch with force.

Upstairs, three kids were smacking their foreheads against the wall.

* * *

**Sooooo...here I am. Back from the dead...pitchforks and tomatoes welcome. TT_TT  
**  
College and work were stressing and so time-consuming I barely had a life for the longest time. When I had some free time, my muse would shamelessly leave me to be with her lover and when she would finally come back and provide a streak of inspiration, I was drowning with assignments and work. Blegh.  
BUT. I finally get to breathe off college and get some free time for a while before I go back to school :)  
**I had promised I would finish my stories, and I intend to keep that promise. I will NOT abandon my projects! I have other stories stored in my computer, but, unless they're one-shots, I don't want to post long-term projects when this one is still inconclusive. **

Hope you liked this chapter, I worked endless days on it :) In fact, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. At a request from a reviewer we finally get to see what happened with Derek and Emily's conversation. I decided to get into Derek's head this chapter, so if you go thinking, "wow this chick really likes Casey.." nah, this is Derek's overly biased, imaginative mind haha. We're getting into Casey's biased and perfectionist head soon enough ;)  
I don't know about you, but Emily is my hero in this chapter! xD I had tons of fun writing her lines.  
I know this is not much happening as much as a flashback but there's an important element in this chapter that will have great influence in the next chapters. About the flashback to his first meeting with Casey, I made sure to describe her as we first meet her in the show, because frankly, the "revised" dorky blonde, bangs, braces version of that day in "How I met your Stepbrother" didn't fit at all with the original version, it sucked. But that's just me haha.

Anyway, Don't you hate those moments? Those moments where the characters go through unnecessary, dramatic crap because they're too stupid and scared to say what they feel and clear the huge misunderstandings that lead to huge piles of unnecessary drama?  
Yeah, me too. With passion. Tsk, tsk. People and their inability to say what they feel...  
But hey, fear not! this is a work of fiction. Is so intertwined with unicorns that any similarities with real life is purely coincidental... :P  
Just know it all has a purpose in character development, in my story, anyway xD  
Hope we've all learned something today! haha.

This work was both inspired by the review and the awesome song I mention at the beginning, sadly by ffnet rules we can't post the lyrics within the story anymore since it isn't our work, so I really hope you listened to it :)

**I wonder if people still want to keep reading this story. P****lease let me know. Though I love writing in this website, there's no point in writing for no one.  
**

**Sadly I discovered too late how to reply to reviews efficiently ^^; so I'm going to try to reply to all of you from now on! **I had the idea to post the replies on my profile so you could all read them, and replace them as the new reviews come per new chapter. BUT I'll leave that up to you to tell me if you'd like that or if you would much rather me replying to your reviews personally on the "reply button" (though I'm aware not many read those...) so Yeah, let me know :)  
**Review and Tell me your thoughts on this chapter!** **Questions, concerns, critiques, favorite moments, hated moments xD ANYTHING, It helps, really.  
Also if you come across a funky and badly spelled word, tell me, for English is not my first language xD  
****Please be specific and write to your heart's content! **

**your support encourages me to keep up with this story! **

Much Love,  
~Amorek


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